


(3) Dracarys

by Lone_Wolf_Fanfics



Series: Daenerys Scamander [3]
Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Book 4: Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, Death Eaters, Dragons, F/M, Good Draco Malfoy, Oblivious Draco Malfoy, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Pining Draco Malfoy, Redeemed Draco Malfoy
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-01-01
Updated: 2021-01-27
Packaged: 2021-03-10 17:13:47
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 37
Words: 39,503
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28480713
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lone_Wolf_Fanfics/pseuds/Lone_Wolf_Fanfics
Summary: Finally coming into her own as Shadow-Kissed, Dani finds new challenges right around the corner from her feelings for Draco, relationship with Harry and the threat of the Dark Lord, year four, is going to be anything but boring.
Relationships: Draco Malfoy/Original Female Character(s)
Series: Daenerys Scamander [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1224644
Comments: 18
Kudos: 31





	1. Daenerys 'Dani' Scamander

**Name:** Daenerys Cosima Targaryen Scamander

 **Birth Name:** Daenerys Cosima Targaryen Potter

 **Nickname:** Dani (Most) Mini-Newt (Apollo) Khaleesi (Draco)

**Other Names:**

Daenerys Stormborn

Shadow-Kissed Daenerys

Dragon Whisperer (Draco – Eventually)

**DOB:** December 25th, 1979

 **Age:** 14/15

 **Species:** Human

 **Gender:** Female

 **Hair color:** Dark Brown (Formerly) White (Currently)

 **Eye color:** Blue (Formerly) Purple (Currently)

 **Portrayed by:** Emilia Clarke

**Residence:** Dragonstone (Family Estate)

 **Patronus:** Dragon

**Familiar:** ZuZu (Dragon) (Currently)

\- A young night fury which came from a clutch of dragon eggs given to Apollo by Newt who had rescued them. Night Fury's are by far the smallest of the dragon breeds, but also the fastest, smartest, and rarest of the known species of dragon. Their adult size only being 26 feet (7.92 meters) long. ZuZu was the only Night Fury in the clutch, and Newt claims that he is the first that has been seen in centuries.

**\- He is currently handheld size as he is still young. But will grow to a size in which Dani will be able to ride him comfortably with a saddle. (By the beginning of Deathly Hallows, ZuZu will be fully grown)**

Drogon (Dragon) (Formerly)

\- Drogon displayed adolescent behaviour over the summer, and Dani had to let him go back to being a dragon and not her companion. He now has a mate, a new clutch of eggs, and lives at the Romanian Dragon Sanctuary permanently in full size. Charlie Weasley writes to Dani often to keep her updated on him.

**House:** Gryffindor

**Family:**

Apollo Jacob Scamander (Step-Father)

Calliope Scamander (Biological Mother) †

\- Twin sister of Remus Lupin

Edward Potter (Biological Father) †

\- Older twin brother of James Potter

Viserys 'Vis' Maekar Scamander (Twin Brother)

Rhaegar 'Ray' Newton Scamander (Older Step-Brother)

 **\- Mother:** Ceclia Scamander (Formerly: Snape); deceased

Garaemarys 'Rolf' Daemon Scamander (Younger Step-Brother)

 **\- Mother:** Ceclia Scamander (Formerly: Snape); deceased

Newt Scamander (Step-Grandfather)

Porpentina Scamander – Nee Goldstein (Step-Grandmother)

Lyall Lupin (Maternal Grandfather)

Hope Lupin (née Howell) (Maternal Grandmother) †

Remus Lupin (Maternal Uncle) (Calliope's twin brother)

James Potter I (uncle) †

Lily Potter (née Evans) (aunt) †

Harry Potter (first cousin)

Fleamont Potter (grandfather) †

Euphemia Potter (grandmother) †

Henry Potter (great-grandfather) †

Ignotus Peverell (paternal ancestor) †

Linfred of Stinchcombe (paternal ancestor) †

Hardwin Potter (paternal ancestor) †

Iolanthe Potter (née Peverell) (paternal ancestor) †

Mrs Potter (née Fleamont) (paternal ancestor) †

**Changes:**

Obviously, those that paid attention to or read the last two books know that Dani's family has been altered slightly. I just got a feeling part way through the last book and fancied mixing it up a bit.

Dani and Vis are now the biological children of Edward Potter, older brother of James Potter, who was married to Calliope Lupin (They had been together whilst at Hogwarts, from about their fourth year and married not long after)

\- Edward died during the first wizarding war, much in the same was his brother had.

\- As did Ceclia Snape, Apollo's wife, and younger sister of Severus Snape.

\- Apollo and Calliope came to lean on one another as friends, eventually deciding to raise their children together, as a family.

\- Whilst maybe they didn't share romantic love, they did love and have great affection for one another.

\- It is currently unknown if Apollo and Calliope actually got married, or if they just agreed to use the Scamander surname. (I like to think that they didn't get married, that their love for Edward and Ceclia prevented that, but they did just share their surname, mostly to protect their children)

\- Severus Snape is aware that Ray and Rolf are his nephews, and the boys were told the truth of their birth when they turned fourteen/fifteen, which was planned by Calliope and Apollo. But all three are aware that it needs to be kept a secret from Dani and Vis as they have yet to be told. (Dani initially found out the truth when she was in year three of Hogwarts, having been told by Peter Pettigrew, she eventually confronted her father on the matter, Apollo then informed her and Vis of the truth)

\- Newt was just happy to have grandchildren, any grandchildren to absolutely dote on.

\- Calliope and Ceclia were best friends. (Which is probably why Severus has less hostility towards Calliope than Remus; and therefore the Scamander brood)

\- Snape and Apollo were actually sort of friends.

**Early Life:**

\- On the night Dani was born at Dragonstone, a severe summer storm raged. For this reason, she is sometimes called "Daenerys Stormborn".

\- Dani was born to Apollo and Calliope Scamander on Christmas Day 1979. She is the younger sister of Rolf and then granddaughter of Newt Scamander.

\- When Dani was 7 years old, Apollo gifted his daughter a Niffler, which she named Callie after her mother. Callie became Dani's best friend.

\- Other children avoid Dani because of her pale skin, white hair and purple eyes, and because of the fact she is Shadow-kissed.

\- Dani was an adventurous child, often climbing trees to get to bird nests.

\- Apollo is a dragonologists, so Dani spent a lot of early years around the beasts.

\- Apollo breeds and trains Hippogriffs (Including Buckbeak)

\- Calliope was a very talented healer, a skill that saved her daughter from certain death after a banshee attack

\- When Dani was 6 years old she was involved in an incident when traveling with her mother. Whilst in Ireland they were attacked by a banshee.

\- Calliope tried to shield her daughter from the banshee but failed.

\- Both were fatally wounded, but Calliope used the last of her life to save Dani's as well as kill the banshee, when the banshee died it let out a wail unlike any other, shadow-kissing Dani, it was so powerful that it permanently turned Dani's hair white, hence the nickname.

**Personality and traits:**

\- Dani's father often describes her as a Mini-Newt implying that she is very much like her Grandfather.

\- Dani, at an early age, became interested in magical creatures and muggle creatures as she spent most of her childhood climbing trees to look at bird nests.

\- Dani feels more comfortable around creatures than she does around humans.

\- Dani is determined when she puts her mind to something, once spending three days sitting in the garden waiting to see a Gruffalo, a fictional creature Vis told her lived in the huge oak tree at the end of the yard. (She cried for hours when Ray told her it was a lie, she and Vis didn't talk for two months after)

\- Dani is a deeply compassionate girl, and forms strong bonds of friendship, remaining loyal in the face of hardships.

\- She was raised to not be the sort of person to discriminate against people based on their heritage or beliefs.

\- Just like her grandfather Dani is morally bound to always do the right thing, without any regard for safety, personal gain or even her own well being.

\- Dani, even if scared, will always push on, showing that she inherited her mother's courage and bravery in the face of her own fear.

\- Dani is polite and well-spoken but filled with quiet determination. She is intelligent and knows that she is free to pursue her own path.

\- Dani reciprocates the loyalty of those around her with gratitude and compassion, especially her inner circle of friends and her dragon.

\- After her first three years at Hogwarts, Dani grew into her status as Shadow-Kissed, she is less self-conscious about her appearance. She has more confidence in who she is. She has also excelled at her studies, proving to be one of the top students alongside Hermione. Whilst she is starting to accept her Shadow-Kissed title, she still hasn't fully accepted that that is what she is, she still struggles with her 'dreams'.

\- Dani's closest friends are Neville and Hermione, both of whom were braver to approach her in the first year and easy friendships were formed.

\- Harry and Dani share a bond, with similar history regarding being marked by death and the loss of mother's. Harry often confides in Dani when he feels Ron or Hermione wouldn't understand.

\- **Between her third and fourth year, Dani and Draco corresponded via letters, re-strengthening a bond that was broken because of Buckbeak's almost death. (Draco signs his letters Khal. Dani; Khaleesi)**

**\- Dani's visions have evolved as well. She is now capable of receiving them whilst awake and sees a lot more than she did previously. The only animal dream she still has is that of the flaming lion and the snake embracing it. She has yet to figure out that this dream does in fact mean her and Draco's evolving and blossoming relationship.**

**\- Dani's relationship with her family has shifted slightly. She and Vis are slightly closer. Possibly due to the shock of learning about their true heritage, but she believes this will likely change when they return to Hogwarts. Dani and Apollo are closer than ever and she, Rolf, and Newt spent some time in the summer at the Romanian Dragon Sanctuary with Drogon to help him settle.**

**\- Whilst she misses Drogon, Dani understands that she did the right thing in letting him go and is happy that he has a mate.**

**Possessions:**

**Wand:** Dani's wand was made of white Ash, 11inch in length and dragon heartstring core.

**Locket:** Dani wears a locket that contains two photos, one of her mother and one of Dani and Vis with her. **This also now has a green crystal pendant with a dragon around it. This charm was given to her by Draco for her 14** **th** **birthday.**

 **Niffler:** Dani is often accompanied by her niffler, Callie, given to her after her mother's death by her father, and named in tribute. Callie is Dani's best friend, given how children are afraid of her. Callie likes to ride Drogon like a horse, they steal stuff together and horde it.

**3 Dragon Eggs:** Dani treasures 3 petrified dragon's eggs that her father brought back from Norway. Rolf has 3 as well, given their love of creatures.

**Pairing:** Draco Malfoy


	2. Other Characters

**THIS IS JUST A PAGE OF ANY OTHER CHARACTERS THAT APPEAR, MOSTLY DANI'S FAMILY AND AN EXTRA WEASLEY**

**Viserys 'Vis' Maekar Scamander:**

**-** **Asa Butterfield**

\- Vis is Dani's older twin brother (By 12 minutes)

-Vis is cruel, condescending and arrogant. Vis describes his temper as 'a dragon', his temper hopelessly outweighs his common sense, making him rash, temperamental, impetuous and reckless.

\- Vis is also extremely self-deluded and believes himself to be a mighty wizard, like his brother Ray, even though he has not wielded a wand against an opponent yet.

\- His personality is actually the result of his confusion over his sexuality and his feelings towards boys/men; and he will mellow significantly with understanding and the forming of a close friendship and eventual relationship with Neville Longbottom

\- When Vis starts becoming his true self, he proves to be deeply protective and loyal to those around him (Even before he would show this only as long as no one saw him acting that way) With Neville Vis shows that he has a love of herbology and plants and is actually very talented and intelligent in that field

\- Vis and Dani are some what close, they both understand the bond of family and blood but they have nothing in common so they are not as close as other twins. Vis can be cruel to Dani if the mood suits him.

\- **House:** Slytherin

\- **Patronus** : Falcon

\- **Pet/Familiar:** Bowtruckle – **Name** : Ilan

\- **Wand:**

**........**

**Rhaegar 'Ray' Newton Scamander:**

**\- Tom Holland**

\- Ray is Dani's oldest brother (Now going into his 6th Year)

\- Ray is wise, honourable, intelligent, kind, and well-educated, Ray is extremely dedicated to his studies.

\- Ray loves to read

\- Ray's sorrow at the behaviour of his broth has given him compassion for the suffering of others, but he also has a deep loyalty to his brother and is dedicated to his family.

\- Ray will date Lyanna Weasley

\- Ray loves all his siblings but he likes some more than others. Ray is incredibly protective when it comes to little sister Dani, more so after her near-death experience as a child

\- **House** : Hufflepuff

\- **Patronus** : Ferret

 **\- Pet/Familiar** : White Norwegian Forest Cat – **Name** : Wisdom (He's really a dumbass)

\- **Wand:**

**...........**

**Garaemarys 'Rolf' Daemon Scamander:**

**\- Skanda Keynes**

\- Rolf is Dani's middle brother. (Going into his 5th Year)

\- Rolf is has a love of music, especially the harp, he also enjoys singing and poetry.

\- Rolf is incredibly kind and sweet, intelligent

\- Rolf also has a love of mythical creatures.

\- Rolf will end up with Luna Lovegood

\- Rolf and Dani are close, having bonding over their love of creatures.

\- **House** : Ravenclaw

\- **Patronus** : Macaw

\- **Pet/Familiar** : Golden Monkey – **Name** : Dior

**\- Wand:**

**...........**

**Calliope Lupin (Possibly Scamander):**

\- Mother of Vis and Dani. 

\- Step-Mother/Mother figure of Ray and Rolf

\- Wife of Edward Potter, and possible wife of Apollo (It's unknown if they actually married)

\- House: Gryffindor

\- Patronus: Lynx

\- Marauder

\- Animagi: Lynx

\- Calliope was a Christian (Apollo still instils this in his children; more so the twins)

\- Edward and Calliope met in their first year at Hogwarts, they were dating by the end of the seventh and married not a year later. 

\- Calliope used to have a small ferret as her companion, he died not long after she did

...........

**Apollo Jacob Scamander:**

**\- Ewan Mcgregor**

\- Father of Ray and Rolf

\- Step-Father/Father Figure of Vis and Dani. 

\- Widower of Cecelia Scamander (formerly: Snape) and possibly Calliope Lupin

\- **House** : Hufflepuff

\- **Patronus** : Dragon

\- **Pet/Familiar:** Barn Owl - Pirro

\- Apollo is a devoted, loving and caring father, since Cecelia and Calliope's deaths he's tried his hardest to be the best he can be for his children

\- Apollo has a calm temper, using icy glares and slow, calm tones to warn

\- Apollo is Jewish like his father, and has raised his children as Jewish and Christian (Calliope was a Christian)

.............

**Lyanna Weasley:**

**\- Sophie Turner**

\- First born daughter, and sixth child of Molly and Arthur Weasley. Younger sister to Bill, Charlie, Percy, Fred and George and older sister to Ron and Ginny.

\- Lyanna has a love of the musical arts as well as literature.

\- Lyanna shares her father's fascination with muggles

\- Lyanna is deeply caring, intelligent, fierce and brave with strong views in feminism. And is very protective of her little sister Ginny, who looks up to Lyanna.

\- **House:** Gryffindor

\- **Patronus:** Tiger

- **Wand:**


	3. Shadow-Kissed

People who are known as Shadow-Kissed are those that have been touched by a banshee's dying scream. It marks the individual as someone connected to spirits and the dead.

\- People who are shadow-kissed are said to have a sixth sense, they are known to be more sensitive to things around them, as they are attuned to the universe like no others.

\- Spirits and ghosts feel more at ease around a shadow-kissed individual.

\- Those that are shadow-kissed tend to excel at Divination given their sixth sense

\- Shadow-kissed tend to suffer from prophetic dreams

\- Shadow-kissed are recognized by their white hair, purple eyes, and pale skin

\- Shadow-Kissed tend to be coveted, prised because of their divination powers and their prophetic dreams. Especially by Dark Magic wielders.

\- Shadow-Kissed are known to instinctively know how to talk and understand Valyrian, the language of dragons - It is believed to be because the Anglo Saxon word for Dragon means "clear seer". This implies that the Celts considered the Dragons as prophets and true seers with great wisdom; very much in the way, Shadow-Kissed are.

**Known Living Speakers of Valyrian:**

Daenerys Scamander

Albus Dumbledore

Apollo Scamander (Limited via Daenerys)

Rhaegar Scamander (Limited via Daenerys)

Garaemarys Scamander (Limited via Daenerys)

Viserys Scamander (Limited via Daenerys)

Draco Malfoy (Limited, in theory, Dani has been teaching him through letters) 

**Known Deceased Users:**

Rosemarie Hathaway

Reed Lazar

Jillian Mastrano Dragomir

Robert Doru

**Shadow-Kissed Wand**

Tale of Three Brothers had a Sister

Death granted this wand to Agrippa Peverell as an offering of his affection rather than the 'prizes' her brothers received and as such is not considered a Deathly Hallow but is a powerful artefact in its own right.

Death courted Agrippa for many decades, both of them very much in love and when Agrippa finally died she became Lady Death and stayed at his side in the afterlife.

The wand then passed through the hands of the Shadow-Kissed; each one is drawn to the wands presence when they accept who they truly are, just as Agrippa had in her later life, becoming a very passionate and trusted prophetess.

Also known as Wand of Fiery Promise. Dragon-Wand. Shadow-Kissed Wand. Death's Fire.

Agrippa was the first Shadow-Kissed individual and as such her wand became known as the Shadow-Kissed wand.

Death brought Agrippa back from the brink of death after her run-in with a banshee, saving her life but marking her as the first-ever shadow-kissed.

The wand is aesthetically very beautiful, as it was a gift of love, the wand is made of elder wood, crystal, and silver, fifteen inches long, and contains a Thestral tail-hair core (From the same that created the Elder Wand)

The wand is the twin to the Elder Wand but is not counted as part of the Deathly Hallows

The wand is composed of five sections; a short crystal, followed by a silver bar, then a black wood handle, followed by another silver bar, and ending with a long crystal.

There are also some engraved images on the wand, which look like a vine of thorns. They start at the base of the short crystal (right where it connects to the silver handle), then curve around the wand up to the base of the long crystal.

When picked up by a Shadow-Kissed individual for the first time the crystal will start to sing and glow red in recognition

The wand can only be used to cast by someone Shadow-Kissed, it will not allow anyone else to cast using it and can be rather violent to those that try.

The wand is remarkably loyal, and will return to its rightful owner whenever lost or stolen.

The wand wants to be found by shadow-kissed; sending out songs that only they can hear, luring the individual closer to it.


	4. Prologue

Dani packs her belongings, ready for the next school year. Her trunk sits open in front of her, clothes folded neatly on one side, some books on the other. A framed photo of Drogon and his mate. A box of letters. Specific letters in a specific box. That's new. Very new. And something she wasn't really expecting when she got her first one. Draco had sent her a letter. No prompting. She just got it, not a week after coming home. But she can't say she hasn't come to look forward to them. Talking with him like that. In letter. Not face to face. She's seen something different about him. There is more intelligence then he shows. Deeper understanding than people give him credit for. His love of alchemy. If he showed this side of himself.....maybe he would have some real friends. And maybe she **was** right about him. Maybe she really did see something in him. She reaches over and picks up a jumper to put into her trunk, but finds it basically disintegrates in her hand.

"ZuZu!" She snaps and throws down her jumper. The tiny dragon pokes his head out from his bed and whines a little in his throat. "It's not a toy" She scolds showing him the hole in her jumper.

"What are you yelling at him for now?" Vis asks from the doorway, Dani shows him her jumper and he smirks a little.

"Drogon never did this" She points out as she gives ZuZu a look.

"He's a baby, Dani" Vis reminds her. "Anyway, hurry up, we're going to be late"

"Why do we have to go anyway?" She counters as she closes her trunk and moves to ZuZu, she holds out her hand to him and he jumps up into her palm.

"Because Dad asked us nicely" He answers. "Because it should be fun...and...your friends are going to be there" Dani shrugs a little. "This about us now being related to Potter?"

"No" She argues. "Just..." She shrugs and takes a breath. "I have a bad feeling"

"Bad feeling or **_bad_** _ **feeling**_?" He asks her, she sighs and moves closer to him.

"Both" She answers. "The last dream I had....it was dark. But there is a green light, like in the corner of my eye" She motions with her hand. "And screaming, so much screaming..." Vis gives her a sad look. "I can hear...someone shouting my name, I know I know the voice, I just can't figure it out over all the other sounds......and I can feel hands on me...holding me down"

"Well..." He starts and then stops. "I don't really know what to say to that, Dani" He admits, she shrugs a little and looks down. "I'm not very good at the comfort thing" He whispers, she hums and nods.

"It's okay" She assures him. "Let's just go"

.......

Dani and Vis head down the stairs to meet with Apollo and their brothers who are waiting for them. Apollo frowns a little seeing them together and appearing rather at peace with each other. They've been weird together this summer.

"You two okay?" Apollo asks as he slides his wand away into his sleeve, he eyes the twins cautiously.

"Why do you keep asking us that?" Vis counters.

"Because this is probably the first summer you two have gone without hitting one another, I'm a little concerned..." Apollo answers, Vis rolls his eyes and then punches Dani's arm giving his father a look. Dani rubs her arm but it wasn't as hard as he might have punched her in previous years. Things have changed between them. Maybe it is them finally growing up. Maybe it is just a shared shock at

"There. I punched her....happy?" Vis asks as he heads towards Rolf and Ray waiting for them. Apollo hums a little and looks down at his daughter.

"I feel like something changed between the two of you," He tells Dani.

"Yeah, maybe" She agrees. "At least until we go back to school" She adds and looks at him. "I have a bad feeling about this" She admits to him too. He touches her cheek.

"We'll be careful" He assures her. "Keep our ears and eyes open...watch our backs....and if something happens that you think is a familiar, that is.. _ **bad**_...you tell me, okay? And we'll leave...straight away, but I have to go, you know the Ministry funds my research, I have to play nice every now and again" She nods and hugs him, he kisses her head and wraps his arm around her.

............

Outside, Apollo walks with his children across their yard, each of them dressed for the cold British weather. Dani pulls her jacket closer to her, ZuZu's head poking out from inside.

"Hands," Apollo tells them, Vis takes Dani's hand as she threads her other with Apollo, on his other side, Ray takes his father's hand and then Rolf's. The five of them then disappear from Dragonstone.


	5. Chapter One

Apollo, Dani, Vis, Ray, and Rolf appear close to where the Weasley's plus Hermione and Harry are already waiting for them. Dani opens her jacket to check on ZuZu, he now sleeps soundly against her chest, she smiles and zips up her jacket again.

"Ly" Ray whispers and picks up the pace, his target a beautiful red headed girl stood with the Weasley family. Lyanna Weasley. She turns and instantly smiles seeing Ray heading her way.

"Ray" She breaths warmly when he reaches her, his eyes on hers as she reaches for his hand. Fingers thread together. Dani watches them softly. Lyanna is all Ray has spoken about all summer for the last two years. Hopelessly and utterly in love with one another. Not that Dani blames him, she's an absolutely stunning young woman. And she knows that Lyanna is crazy smart too. Harry branches off and walks towards Dani and Vis.

"Hey" Harry greets, Dani gives him a small smile.

"Potter" Vis counters and then walks away. Harry hums a little, he doesn't expect much from Vis, he's a Slytherin and friends with Draco. Apollo squeezes Dani's shoulder and smiles at Harry.

"Nice to see you again, Harry"

"And you, Mr Scamander" Harry offers. The few times they have met, Apollo has been kind and compassionate towards him, much like Molly and Arthur Weasley have been. Harry also now assumes it had something to do with Edward Potter and not so much Harry. "I...I wanted to say that...that things with Dani...With what..." Harry starts, his eyes flickering to the girl who looks away.

"It's okay, Harry...Dani explained..." Apollo gives him a soft look. "I know it must have been a shock to you as well..."

"I didn't even know about him....about Edward" Harry admits. "Not until....until last year."

"Oh," Apollo breaths. "Would you like to know a bit about him?" Harry nods. "Okay, well...Edward was your dad's brother" Apollo explains. "Twins..." Harry looks at him. "He met Callie in their first year at Hogwarts. Both in Gryffindor. Both were twins, both the quieter ones, more studious....they had common ground" He snorts a little. "Edward used to say that it was the second he laid eyes on Callie that he knew that's where his future lay..." Apollo shrugs a little. "She was also stubborn, kind but stubborn....it wasn't until they were your age that she finally gave in" Harry smiles a little. "They were inseparable after that. The four of us were..." He looks down at Harry. "Your uncle Edward was a very smart wizard, very, very smart......."

"You said the four of you" Harry starts, Apollo hums.

"Edward, Callie, myself....and Cecelia...my first wife...the boys' mother"

"What happened to her?"

"Same thing that befell Edward..." Apollo answers and wraps an arm around Dani's shoulders pulling her closer. "But we're okay, aren't we, kiddo?" He asks her, she looks up at Apollo and nods with a warm smile. He looks at Harry and places his free hand on his shoulder. "Family isn't always about the people that share your blood, Harry...it's the people that are there for you when you need them to be the most..." Harry smiles and nods, he looks at Dani who smiles softly at him. The two families, and guests, head off, following Apollo and Arthur. Two figures are waiting for them atop a hill as they approach.

"Arthur! Apollo!" The man greets them. "It's about time...."

"Sorry, Amos" Apollo offers.

"'Fraid we got a bit of a sleepy start" Arthur adds and then turns to the children following behind them. "This is Amos Diggery, everyone. Works with me at the Ministry. And this strapping young lad must be Cedric, am I right?"

"Sir" Cedric greets. Amos suddenly looks at Harry.

"Merlin's beard!" He states when he realises just who it is. "You're Harry Potter, aren't you? Ced's talked about you, of course. About playing quidditch against you last year. I told him, Ced, that'll be something to tell your grandchildren, that will; You beat Harry Potter"

"Harry fell off his broom, Dad" Cedric corrects. "I told you, it was an accident..."

"Yes, but you didn't fall off, did you? Best man won. I'm sure Harry'd say the same" Amos counters. Arthur clears his throat.

"Well....shall we? Don't want to be late" He tells them.

"Hm?" Amos asks and then realises. "Oh, right. It's over here" Arthur and Apollo share an amused look.

..........

Arms extended, like spokes to a wheel as each person places a finger to a boot on the ground. Harry leans close to Fred next to him.

"Can you tell me why we're all standing here pressing our fingers to this manky old boot?" He asks.

"This isn't just _any_ manky old boot, mate" Fred answers.

"It's a Portkey" George adds.

"A Portkey?" Harry asks. "What's a...." Before Harry can continue the hill around him lurches, then tilts. The sky begins to spin around them.

...........

Harry then slams hard onto his feet and like the others beside him, topples onto his back. Dani groans from the ground, Vis on top of her.

"Vis" She complains. Dani shoves at Vis who pushes himself up and glares down at her, she is quick to unzip her jacket to check on ZuZu, but he's slept through the whole thing. Arthur, Amos, Apollo, and Cedric walk closer to the downed children. Each of them watching amused.

"That'll clear your sinuses, eh?" Arthur teases.

"And I thought I hated floo powder" Harry complains under his breath. Cedric offers Harry his hand and pulls him to his feet. "Thanks," Harry tells him sheepishly. He looks past Cedric to the field beyond. Thousands of tents stretch to the edge of a cliff, to the deep bowl of a stadium. Harry frowns a little.

"The Quidditch World Cup" Apollo offers to Harry who then looks up at him surprised, excitement sinking in.

...............

Dani scratches at ZuZu's head as she follows her father and brothers, Arthur and the Weasley boys. Harry and Hermione just a little head of her. There are two tents close by one another, not connected but close enough. Arthur and Apollo planned this trip with the kids in mind, knowing that as friends they will likely come and go as they please.

"Well....here we are" Arthur announces. "Scamanders on the left...Weasleys and guest on the right..." Apollo basically herds his children into their tent. Mostly because he wants to set a few ground rules before he lets them go running off.


	6. Chapter Two

Dani hums happily to herself as she hands over a couple of galleons for the scarf from the souvenir stand. They'd been given free rein until the game that night and Dani was wanting to get something small. Just a scarf. It was this or a keyring, she's a witch, she doesn't see the need for keys. She takes the scarf and pulls it around her neck.

"That looks nice" She pauses slightly, smiles and then wraps the scarf the rest of the way around her neck before turning to find Draco behind her.

"Thanks" She whispers. He reaches out, untucks her necklace from under the scarf and smiles at her.

"Hello" He greets, she smiles back at him.

"Hello" She counters, swinging her arms at her side before she folds them behind her back. He nods for her to walk with him, this is all pre-planned anyway, when they both learnt that they would both be here. He just wanted to spend some time with his friend outside of school. Even if they still have to be careful.

............

Dani and Draco walk through the tents together, hoods pulled up, just in case, Draco's worry more than hers. He does have an image to uphold and she understands, she doesn't like it, but she gets it. She's had the letters all summer explaining how tough his dad is on him. She is lucky she has Apollo.

"It's definitely one of the better alchemy books," He tells her. His tone showing how much he actually loves alchemy. She knows he does. But actually hearing him talk about it. "Much more detail about Golpalott's Third Law" She looks at him, his face lit up under his hood. Joy. Calmness. But it suddenly shifts, pain etching onto his face. Loneliness. "You know that things will be different at school" He whispers, she nods.

"I know" She assures him. He glances at the ground and kicks at it with his shoe. "Draco..." He looks at her. "When you write to me....do you tell me the truth?" He nods. "Then I know that the person you are at school....is not the real you"

"My father" He starts.

"You told me" She reminds him.

"He expects me to be a certain way...act a certain way, feel one way, think one way...." He continues. "I just..." He lets out a breath. She knows. She knows how scared he is of letting his father down. Letting his family down. He wants so bad to be a good son. Even if that makes him a bad person to everyone else around him. He reaches out a little and brushes his fingers over hers at her side before he threads his fingers with her. When he writes to Dani, he can be as free as he wants with personal opinion and expression. He can show her the real him, without anyone else seeing it. "I don't want you to hate me" He admits. " **Again** "

"Here," She tells him as she pulls off her scarf then holds it out to him, he frowns at her.

"What is this for?" He asks her.

"When you wear it" She starts and then wraps it around his neck. "I will know you are my friend" He smiles softly at her. "Even if you are being mean" She lifts her eyes to his. "How about that?" he nods.

"Yeah" He agrees. "Smartypants" he teases and pokes her nose, she wrinkles it and then chuckles. "I don't have anything for you" He admits.

"I have this" She touches her necklace and then curls her fingers around it.

"Dani!" She and Draco snap their heads around hearing Vis' voice shouting for her.

"I have to go" She whispers, he brushes his fingers over her cheek and nods in agreement. "See you at school...." She shrugs a little and tugs on the scarf. "Malfoy"

"Scamander" He counters as she walks away. He watches her, fingers touching the scarf around his neck before he lets out a breath and walks away.

........

Draco pauses outside of his father's tent when he hears Dani's name from within, he ducks back a little, moving to hide between tents to listen. His fingers clutching to the scarf.

"Just kill the girl and be done with it" A voice states, snaps really, Draco can't make out who it belongs to, too much noise around him.

"That wasn't the plan" His father scolds. "She's already powerful and she's fourteen, with the right push in the right direction she could be the most powerful dark shadow-kissed that ever existed...Now imagine if we knew the outcome of our plans before we even think of them...." Draco's eyes widen. "She's here. This happens tonight...After the game, separate her from the herd...then take her" Draco shuffles backwards as the tent flaps open and people leave. He pushes himself back to hide. They're going to take Dani. And whilst it is his father doing so. Draco is terrified of it happening to her. The darkness is in his blood. But it is not in hers. They would destroy everything good about her. His fingers turn white as he grips the scarf tight in his hand.


	7. Chapter Three

Dani follows Apollo as he himself follows the Weasley herd ahead of him. She glances to ZuZu who sits on her shoulder now, fascinated by the lights, people, and sounds around them. The dragon seems very excited by it all, it's a good learning experience for him, getting him used to numerous sights, smells, and sounds. ZuZu makes his now signature sound and rubs into Dani's cheek. Draco and his father, Lucius head down the stairs having just _spoken_ with Arthur's group. As soon as he notices her, Lucius stares at Dani, but she is oblivious as she focuses all her attention on ZuZu when he jumps into her palm as they pass on the stairs. Draco, purposely, knocks into Dani. She lifts her eyes and glares at him. He gives her a look, trying to tell her something but she can't figure it out, she's too excited about everything else going on. Draco's hand slips into her jacket pocket before he pulls it back and he follows his father.

............

Dani sits between Vis and Hermione in their seats, literally the last row but Dani doesn't care, she likes being up high. A jet of broomsticks below comes into view. A roar erupts through the crowd. Including Fred and George.

"It's the Irish!" Fred offers. "There's Troy!"

"And Mullet" George adds.

"And here comes Moran.." Before Fred can finish, a fleet of dark-clad riders soar over the opposite rim of the stadium. The crowd roars again.

"Here comes the Bulgarians!" George cheers.

"Who's that?" Ginny asks and points to a particularly young player.

"That, sis" George teases slightly. "Is the best seeker in the world"

"He flies rather well, doesn't he?" Hermione asks. The boys exchange amused glances.

"You could say that" Fred answers who then lifts his omnioculars to his eyes.

"What's his name?" Ginny continues and as if on cue, thousands of fans on the oposite side of the stadium flip large cards bearing the face of a surly looking boy with thick eyebrows. Each one is emblazoned with his name; Krum.

"Krum?" Dani asks.

"Krum" Harry, Fred, George, Ron, Ray, and Rolf all agree, at the same time, and all with admiration. Apollo glances at Dani who raises an eyebrow back at him. As the boys all watch Krum with awe, Krum jets past, flying with such breathtaking skill that Harry's jaw drops. Vis scoffs a little and looks at Dani who shrugs back at him. She doesn't get it either.

..........

In the Ministry box, Cornelius Fudge raises as Lucius and Draco take their seats nearby.

"Good evening" Fudge's voice makes it out to the masses gathered. "As Minister for Magic, it gives me great pleasure to welcome each and every one of you to the final of the four hundred and twenty-second Quidditch World Cup. Let the match begin!" A ball of light bursts from Fudge's wand announcing the beginning of the game.

............

After the game, Dani sits with Hermione and Ginny in the Weasley tent. Vis sat close but not with them as he and Ilan read from a herbology book. Harry sits with Ron, Fred, George and Rolf. Beyond them, Lyanna is curled into Ray's chest as they whisper with one another. Locked in their little lover's bubble. Apollo and Arthur talk among themselves at a table, keeping an eye on their children.

"Brilliant Krum, wasn't he?" Ron asks them. "Did you see him lynch into the ground with the wronski feint? It was positively brutal"

"I think you're in love, Ron" Hermione teases, Dani smirks and looks down at ZuZu in her lap as he pounces around.

"Quite, you" Ron counters with a smile. Just then a chant of voices rise like a lion's roar outside of the tent.

"Sounds like the Irish have got their pride on" Fred teases.

"It's not the Irish" Arthur argues, they all turn now to find Arthur and Apollo standing at the tent flap peering out. Smiles fall. Apollo and Arthur share a look.

"Get yourselves dressed" Apollo adds, and then turns to them when no one moves. "Now" He adds, fiercer.

.............

Moments later, Dani emerges from the tent to join , Vis right beside her, pulling on his jacket, his eyes scanning around as he tries to hide his fear. Apollo grabs their shoulders and pulls them closer to him. All around them, people run in terror, trampling fires and kicking up sparks. Beyond them, a group of black-robed wizards, faces concealed behind masks, are marching across the campsite. Some clutch torches, while others point their wands skyward, where four people tumble eerily high above.

"Who are those people?" Ginny asks. "In the air?"

"Muggles" Apollo answers her.

"And the ones on the _ground_?" Ginny continues. Arthur and Apollo share a look.

"Death Eaters" Hermione answers. Harry appears puzzled by all of this. Arthur and Apollo both draw their wands.

"Get back to the Portkey," Arthur tells them. "All of you. And _stick together_. Fred, George, you're responsible for Ginny and Lyanna. Girls, you listen to your brothers. _Girls_ _!_ Did you hear me?" Ginny blinks, startled by how fierce her father sounds. She nods, he looks at Lyanna who quickly nods and clutches to Ray's hand. Apollo motions to the twins and then to Ray and Rolf, both boys nod, understanding just fine.


	8. Chapter Four

Dani follows after her brothers along with the Weasley boys and girls, Hermione and Harry. Her heart is pounding in her ears, her eyes scanning over the blazing tents. ZuZu is tucked inside of her jacket, curled into her chest. Dani turns hearing a noise. Like someone crying. She comes to a stop, her eyes find a small boy is crying for his mother, she looks at him sadly. Can't in good conscious leave him alone. She glances back at her brothers who are hurrying on without her. She closes her eyes and nods to herself. Makes her choice. She turns and heads towards the crying boy instead, her attention on the boy, so she doesn't see the death eaters heading towards her. Draco suddenly tackles Dani, it's not the most graceful, or the most subtle of ways to get her out of sight, but it works, into the dirt and mud. She screams, and pushes against him, his hand covering her mouth as he watches the death eater look around before moving on. Dani thumps at his chest, muffled screams against his hand, Draco rolls his eyes slightly and looks down at her.

"Shush" He hisses at her. "It's me" Her eyes flicker to his. "It's me" He offers softer, she relaxes against him, he removes his hand.

"What are you doing?" She scolds him. "What's going on?" She asks weaker.

"What are you doing out here on your own?!" He counters as he pulls her hood up over her head. Her hair gives her away. Hide the hair. Hide the shadow-kissed. He stands and pulls her up to her feet. Not waiting for an answer from her. "Come on," He tells her, his hand holding hers tightly as he pulls her along.

"Draco" She pleads with him. "Where are we going?"

"To find your father" He answers. His eyes catch sight of a couple of death eaters looking for her and he pulls Dani down behind some broken tents, his arms around her, pulling her against his chest, hiding her. "They're here for you" He whispers to her, she pulls back and looks up at him. "I tried to warn you" He scolds her as he looks around.

"What? When?"

"I put a note in your pocket" He answers, she releases him and digs in her pockets. She pulls out a tiny piece of parchment, she gives him a look.

"I didn't see it," She tells him, he closes his eyes and sighs. "I mean look at the size of it" She scolds. "How was I supposed to find this?" He snatches it from her and gives her a look.

"It doesn't matter now" He grumbles. She suddenly realises there is very little movement within her jacket.

"ZuZu" She claims and looks inside of her jacket. "No, no..." She glances around and sees the tiny dragon cowering behind them, tucked himself in, having obviously fallen out of her jacket when Draco tackled her, and then tried to follow, only now getting stuck with his fear.

"Dani" Draco scolds when she moves after ZuZu, she's not leaving him behind. She's already lost Drogon. She lets out a relieved breath when she picks up the dragon but it falls when her eyes find the death eater standing staring at her, a knowing smirk on his face. Draco grabs her free hand and pulls her into a run. "Come on" He scolds, the two of them weaving through broken tents as the death eater gives chase. They are smaller. Quicker on their feet. And they manage to weave around enough that they lose their pursuer, Draco races them forward and into a tent that for the most part, is still upright, certainly big enough for the two of them. He knocks Dani down and kneels at her side. He covers her mouth and listens to footsteps outside of the tent, Dani's eyes flicker to the tent flap, waiting. Draco lets out a breath when the footsteps head onwards, away from them. "Where were you going?" He asks her. "When I found you?"

"There's a Portkey" She admits quietly. "It was going to take us away..."

"Do you think you could find it again?"

"I don't know, maybe" She rubs her head. Draco hugs her tighter, she is rather surprised but right now, she kind of needs it. She hugs him back, curled into his chest.

"We'll stay here until it's quiet" He whispers as he pulls her closer, settling on the ground, arms around her.

"Why are they after me?" She asks him.

"You know why" he pokes her nose and then tugs on her hair.

"I never asked for this" She whispers as he plays with her hair. "I just wanted to be normal" Draco hugs her tightly, he knows this. They talked about it in their letters.

...............

Draco and Dani wait until it is almost silent outside, there is the cracking of still-burning fires, a few shouts but not a lot of anything else. Draco leaves the tent first, pulling Dani with him. Her hand still held tightly in his. In the sky is a skull with a serpent coiling from its mouth. The dark mark. Dani's eyes shift upwards to look at it, and just like that, just like always, now her dreams make sense. 

"I saw it" She whispers, Draco squeezes her hand. "I should have pushed more...told them I didn't want to come....but they were so excited"

"Come on," He tells her and pulls her along as he heads off in search of her family.

"What will they do if they find out you helped me?" She asks him, he looks away from her and shrugs, but he has an idea. "Draco, if they're going to hurt you...Maybe I should just...." He laughs a little and gives her a look.

"That's why they can't have you" He points out, she's too good, they can't have her. They can't ruin her.

"Dani!" A voice yells, Dani glances around. "Dani!!" Draco pulls her towards the voice. They can make out Apollo ahead, his wand held out and lit with a lumos spell, Draco gives Dani a smile and a nod. The two of them sharing a look.

"Thank you," She tells him, he shrugs.

"Don't mention it" He mumbles. "Like ever" He adds with a small smirk, she nods, understands what he is asking.

"I won't" She assures him. She leans closer and kisses his cheek before she hurries towards her father.

"Merlin's Beard. Dani!" Apollo lets out and pulls Dani into a bone-crushing hug, lifting her so she can wrap her arms around his neck.


	9. Chapter Five

Dani makes her way down the stairs of her home, hearing voices from the living room. She couldn't sleep, to begin with. Everything that happened at the world cup has her on edge. There are people out there now actively after her. And for something she cannot control. She's scared. Draco might have told her, but her father, Arthur, and the other ministry members there had heard it from other sources. Witnesses claiming that the Death Eaters were looking for a girl with white hair and purple eyes. It wasn't hard for them to figure it out from that. Her status as Shadow-kissed is now endangering her life and her freedom. She sits on the stairs, half-way up, her fingers pulling her cardigan closer to her body as she listens to the conversation going on.

“She is the only one that can see an attack coming, it makes sense that she will be a target to anyone out there...Death Eaters or not” Dani closes her eyes and leans against the bannister of the stairs.

“She's always going to be a target, she is and always will be shadow-kissed” Apollo's voice reaches her, and it is laced with sadness and anger. “If they don't get to her then her own mind will....what does that leave her with? What choices? What life?”

“It wouldn't be a curse otherwise, Apollo” Arthur's voice is softer.

“What do we do?” Apollo asks and then seems to pause. He sighs and walks towards the stairs. Dani debates with herself as to whether she should disappear before he notices she's been listening. But she's kind of mad at him as well. Apollo appears at the bottom of the stairs and looks up at Dani. “You shouldn't be listening” He scolds her.

“It's about me” She counters. “I think I have a right to hear how you think I am a lost cause”

“No” He stops her. “No, no, I do not think that”

“Yes, you do” She argues. “I heard you.....I have no future, no life, because you think I am either going to be turned dark or...I will drive myself mad”

“I don't want either of those choices for you” He is quick to tell her. “But.....history has shown that....that those that are.....Shadow-kissed.....” He looks away from her, not really ready to talk to hare about this. Dani shakes her head and then stands.

“Forget it” She growls a little and then heads up the stairs. Apollo shakes his head and closes his eyes.

…........

Dani slams her bedroom door and moves to her window, her eyes on the stars above her. She knows the stories. She knows her future choices. Darkness or madness. She doesn't want either of those things to happen to her. No one would. And it puts a weight on her shoulders. Knowing what is coming for her. ZuZu lifts his head from his bed to watch her. She wraps her arms around herself and sits on her window seat. She knows this might mean that he pulls her out of Hogwarts. That he might keep her here away from threats. But she doesn't want to miss out on school because someone decided at some point that Shadow-kissed were to be coveted. Yeah, well, if that was the case, people would actually listen to her when she tells them something bad is going to happen. She closes her eyes and touches the cold glass of her window. A new development in her visions, that she has yet to tell anyone other than Draco, which in itself is a weird thing for her, is that she no longer has to be asleep. If she concentrates hard enough and, for some reason, is touching glass, whether a window or her crystal ball, she can pull forward a flicker of some vision. Blue fire. It flashes around the edges of her vision. But there is a green light too. And an eye. Watching. She pulls her hand back from the glass and shakes her head, clearing her head. She looks at ZuZu who makes a small noise in question, she gives him a small smile and then stands to go back to bed.

….......

Dani sits alone at the dining table as she eats her breakfast. Today is the day that everyone else is returning to Hogwarts, and nothing has been said about her staying here, so...she assumes she is going back too. Callie sits on the end of the table playing with a chocolate galleon, her little legs swinging off the edge. Apollo takes a breath and moves closer to his daughter.

“Dani” Apollo starts, she looks at him. “About last night...” She shrugs a little and turns her attention to ZuZu in her lap. “You shouldn't have heard me saying those things...I was scared...I **am** scared, for you....you becoming a target of dark wizards....it's something I have feared for a long time...” She glances at him. “What you are....there are no happy stories about them...” She looks away again. “All I want is for you to have a normal life...Go to school, make friends, fall in love....have your own family....” He strokes her hair. “That's all your mother wanted for you, for both of you....that's all I want for you. Being Shadow-kissed, it means that there are only two paths for you...”

“Says who?” She argues. “Some dusty old book and some old stories...I'm not them, Dad, I can do this and be me _**and**_ stay me. I know I can...” He looks down at her sadly. He is sure that the other shadow-kissed all felt that way in the beginning too. “I can still do all those things...I can still go to school, right?” He nods and touches her cheek.

“Yeah, you will be safest at the school anyway” He assures her, thumb gently brushing over her cheek. “The Ministry agrees...So you are going to go to school, you are going to study and be a teenager, and not worry about any of this” She opens her eyes to give him a look. Because there is no way she can just pretend like this didn't happen to her. That those Death Eaters were looking for her. “Just try” He adds. “Try and concentrate on being a teenager a little longer...whilst you still can,” He tells her sadly because he knows that her whole life is going to be filled with people trying to use her for her visions, she is still young enough that she can ignore the world and continue being a child. Just for a little longer. He knows that he isn't going to be able to protect her forever. And most shadow-kissed don't have good stories attached them. Their vision either drive them mad, or they succumb to the dark arts. Neither one he wants for his daughter. She nods a little and he lets her go. “Okay,” He whispers.


	10. Chapter Six

Neville hugs her tightly, and yeah, Dani hugs him back just as tightly, with everything that has gone on, she maybe needs a hug off her best friend after the summer she's had. She'd barely walked into the compartment when he'd grabbed her and pulls her in. She doesn't mind. She's missed him too. Neville pulls back from her and smiles.

“Come on, let me see him” Neville offers as he sits down. They've been talking via letters over the months, he knows all about ZuZu and Drogon. Dani opens her jacket to allow ZuZu out. Neville chuckles a little. “He's so small” Neville points out as he watches ZuZu bounce around the compartment. But he smiles. ZuZu is less intimidating than Drogon by size alone. “How's Drogon?” He asks.

“He's okay” She answers. “He's....got a girlfriend and a clutch that are close to hatching so...” She shrugs a little. Whilst she does indeed miss Drogon, she is feeling better about him leaving. He is just where he needs to be.

“Why couldn't he stay with you?” Neville asks. “Doesn't your dad keep dragons?”

“Yeah” She agrees. “But..only the ones he studies and the Ministry puts limits on certain things. Plus he has no unmated females, if Drogon would have stayed, he would have ended up fighting with the other males, challenging them....”

“What's your dad studying now?”

“Dragon families” She answers and then shrugs. “It's something to do with the family dynamics. They're usually very private about who they let near their young, usually raising them in secret, but Dad's been bonding with them for a few years now. They see him as family so...they let him in, he's seeing things that wizards and witches have never seen before” She beams a little. Neville smiles with her. Anyone can see how much dragons mean to her. “How are your parents?” She asks.

“More of the same” He answers, she gives him a sad smile. He shrugs a little. Students hang out of compartment doors, laughing, talking, catching up, while an old woman pushes a candy trolley between the compartments. She knocks on Neville and Dani's before opening the door.

“Anything off the trolley, dears?” She asks them, both Dani and Neville stands.

“Droobles and a liquorice wand” Neville orders as he counts out coins in his palm, the old woman looks at Dani.

“No Drogon this year?” She asks her.

“No” Dani answers softly. “He...urm...he grew up” Dani shrugs a little. “So it's ZuZu now” She motions behind her at ZuZu who cocks his head.

“Oh, he's just precious,” The old woman tells her, Dani smiles and nods.

“Bag of lemon drops” A voice demands. Dani glances up to find Draco on the other side of the cart. Sensing her gaze on him, he looks up, appears surprised to see her there. And she understands why. Death Eaters tried to steal her. And here she is, going back to school. As if nothing happened. Draco gives a subtle nod to the side, takes his bag of lemon drops and then walks away. Dani lets out a small breath.

“Something sweet for you, dear?” The old woman asks, Dani blinks and looks at her.

“Huh? Oh...no, I'm not hungry” Dani answers, the old woman nods and carries on down the train. Dani looks back at Neville who sits with ZuZu, the young dragon investigating Neville's liquorice wand. “I'll be right back...can you watch....”

“Yes, of course,” Neville assures her without even looking up. She smiles and shakes her head before leaving the compartment, closing the door behind her.

…...............

Draco yanks Dani into a train toilet when she passes, his fingers quickly locking it behind him, she pulls a face and glances around, but she knows that right now, this is the best they have.

“What are you doing here?” He asks her, she shrugs.

“The Ministry thinks I will be safer at school” She answers. He rolls his eyes and gives her a look. “I'm fourteen, Draco, I have no say...” She then lets out a breath. “Were you caught out?”

“No” He assures her. “I managed to sneak back to my father unseen” He whispers but he hates that he is lying to her, if she knew that his father was part of the problem, then he is sure she wouldn't want to keep talking with him. She would end their friendship to save herself, and he wouldn't blame her at all. She is the one real friend in his life. He won't risk her for anything. Plus he is pretty sure that he has...some form of feelings for her, otherwise, why would he have kissed her, and liked it. He's just fourteen and everything he is feeling is new. And boosted. But he knows she is important to him. That's why he protected her. Saved her. It's what he keeps telling himself. The reason he betrayed his own father was that this girl is something very important to him. She has to be. “Have you _seen_ anything for this year?” She glances at him and shrugs. “So yes” He points out and leans closer to her. “You can tell me”

“I know” She agrees. “I just don't know what it means yet, and it's not clear, it's just light and colours and an eye” He raises an eyebrow at her.

“An eye?” He draws out slowly. She nods. “Okay, so...maybe it means that someone is spying.” He offers, she hums and looks at him,

“You believe me?” She whispers, he nods.

“Of course I do” He is quick to answer. “You're shadow-kissed, a true seer, why wouldn't I believe you?” She shrugs and looks away from him, he sighs and touches her arms, pulling her closer. He doesn't need her to voice why that seems to bother her, he's seen it enough. People keep brushing it off. Brushing her off. Brushing off her visions. The only one that seems to take her seriously is Trelawney. And considering all the lore around Shadow-kissed, it would be very wise for them to be more wildly believed. He knows Dark wizards want them, that means at least they see them as powerful and true seers. She's looking at him, watching him. A warmth in her eyes. He leans closer and then kisses her. Just like that. Without much thought. Just being here with her.

“What are you doing?” She whispers against his lips, he shrugs and goes to pull back, but she grabs his shirt to stop him. “Draco” She warns.

“I know we didn't really talk about what happened” He starts. “But..” She steps closer to him and searches his eyes before she kisses him this time. He closes his eyes and kisses her back. His fingers coming up to thread through her hair. He's been thinking about this all summer. At the end of last year, he kissed her but didn't give her the chance to respond, now she is. Now she is actually kissing him back. And it is more than he could have imagined. A warmth flooding him, thawing that ice in his veins. He presses her against the locked door and sighs, pulls back, his nose brushing over hers. “Dani” He whispers. She touches her world cup scarf around his neck and smiles.

“Just you and me” She offers, he laughs and nods, his fingers brushing her hair back from her face.

“Always” He assures her, she shakes her head, rolling her eyes amused. He tugs on her hair and pulls back. “Well, at least you are not yelling at me anymore” She chuckles.

“I can still call you stupid if you want” She teases. “Khal” She adds with warmth, he gives her a softer look.

“Khaleesi” He counters as he threads his fingers with hers at her side. “As long as you...know that...I...do think of you as my...dearest friend” She nods and stops him with a hand on his chest.

“I know” She adds, then takes a breath. “We all have our roles to play. And I'm scared, Draco, this year, I can feel it....something is coming. Something...” She looks away and goes vacant in her eyes. “Oh, so much power...” He brushes his hand over her cheek and she looks at him. “We all have to be ready” She warns. “This year. It's going to change.....everything” he frowns a little, but he knows she can never just spill everything, because she doesn't just know everything, she gets snippets. Things that never make sense until it happens. But he knows she is scared. He can see that much. He kisses her forehead and closes his eyes.


	11. Timeline Note

**Readers**

**So I have looked at both the book and the movie timeline for Goblet of Fire, and they don't match, lots of events are switched around in the movie and obviously, the arrival of the two other schools seems to happen a lot sooner in the film than in the book and Draco being turned into a ferret happens a lot later in the film than it does in the book.**

**I am going to try and work my own timeline out, just to work better with the two media and with what I have planned for Dani. So if things appear out of order, this is why. Don't panic. :)**


	12. Chapter Seven

Harry, Ron, and Hermione bundle themselves into Dani and Neville's compartment, only it's just Dani that is currently occupying it. Hermione gives her a smile and sits down, starts fussing over ZuZu, who laps up the attention. 

“No Neville?” Harry asks.

“He's gone looking for Trevor” Dani answers as she stares out the window.

“No Callie either?” Hermione asks her as she looks around for the niffler.

“No, ZuZu and Callie don't get along right now, Dad thought I should leave her behind for this year, just till ZuZu is settled and a little older” Dani answers. “What are you guys doing here?” She asks and turns a little, glancing at them.

“Just wondering how you were, after the world cup?” Harry asks. “We didn't really get to talk after...because your dad and the Ministry kind of dragged you off”

“I'm fine” She answers, firmly. Kind of wishing that people would stop asking her that. She is one piece. And she is not in the hands of Death Eaters, she thinks that makes her just fine.

“I don't suppose the Ministry is happy” Hermione points out. “That a Shadow-kissed was almost snatched...”

“Happened right under their noses as well,” Ron points out, Dani snorts and rolls her eyes.

“This is great. Three years of visions. And now.... _ **now**_ everyone is taking it seriously that I am actually shadow-kissed” She points out. “No one has ever believed me”

“I've always believed you,” Hermione tells her. “I don't take divination seriously, I know, but I always took you seriously, Dani” She defends herself, Dani sighs a little but she knows she's right. Hermione only survived the basilisk in their second year because Dani warned her, that's why she was using the mirror, meaning that Hermione at least believed her. Dani shakes her head, her fingers on the glass window.

“If this is how the others were treated, then I don't blame them for going dark” She admits. “Or mad....” She turns to them.

“That's not going to happen to you” Harry argues.

“Why?” She counters. “I'm just like them....and that's the fate....one or the other.....”

“It's just not” Harry stops her. “There's nothing dark in you...” Ron nods in agreement.

“And you are far too mentally stable to go mad” Hermione adds. “You're head is so screwed on, that nothing it unravelling it” Dani smiles a little and nods.

“And you have us” Harry offers. “And Neville, and your brothers...” He then motions to ZuZu. “And ZuZu.....none of us are going to let that happen....”

“We'll see” Dani counters.

“We still need to change” Hermione points out as she stands, she touches Dani's arm. “Everything will be okay” She whispers to her friend who gives a tense smile. She watches them leave the compartment, ZuZu jumping up to sit on her shoulder. Dani lets out a deep sigh. Whilst she doesn't know if everything is going to be okay, there is one thing she does know for certain. She needs to start looking after herself. Needs to accept what and who she is. Regardless of who believes her. Because it doesn't matter. She is shadow-kissed. She is a seer. That doesn't change suddenly when no one believes her. And it won't change if everyone believes her. She is and always will be shadow-kissed. She needs to look out for herself.

….......

At Hogwarts, the great hall is magically decked out for the start of term feast. Dani sits with Neville, a little way down the table from Harry, Ron and Hermione. Hermione keeps shooting worried glances at her. They're scared about what's happening, and Dani was almost stolen from her family for her powers. Dumbledore addresses the house tables from the top of the hall while Flitwick, Hagrid, McGonagall, and Snape watch on. Filch glowers from the rear doors.

“Mr Filch. Our beloved caretaker has informed me that the list of objects forbidden within the castle now includes screaming yo-yos, fanged Frisbees, ever-bashing boomerangs, and chocolate marshmallow bunnies” There is a slight pause. “I'm joking about that last one” Dumbledore adds, mischievously. “The full list comprises some four hundred and thirty-seven items and may be viewed in Mr Filch's office” Dani glances at the Slytherin table to find Draco already watching her, he jerks back, caught out, she smirks and looks down. “Now” Dumbledore continues. “There is, apparently, a rather nasty rumour flying about the school that Quidditch will not be played this year. That rumour, I'm here to tell you...is absolutely true” Indignation fills the hall but Dumbledore smiles in amusement instead. “There _is_ an explanation” He stops them all. “You see, Hogwarts will this year play host to a legendary event. An event that has not taken place in over one hundred years......the Triwizard Tournament” Excitement now floods through the hall. One voice louder than the other.

“You're joking!” Fred Weasley blurts out.

“I am not joking, Mr Weasley. For those of you who do not know, the Triwizard Tournament was originally conceived some seven centuries ago as a way for the three largest European wizardry schools to engage in a series of magical contests while their respective student bodies experience the benefits of cross-cultural social intercourse” A crackling, albeit bewildered, silence hangs in the air. “Unfortunately due to a distressingly high death toll, the Tournament was cancelled” Dani frowns, worry filling her. “Until now. In the fall, delegations from Beauxbatons Academy of Magic and the Durmstrang Institute will journey to Hogwarts. This year, our home will be their home. I ask only that you endeavour to make it a happy one” His voice fades into a sort of whisper to Dani as she stares at the table, her mind drifting. She rubs her head and closes her eyes as she takes a few deep breaths. Neville's hand on her shoulder jerks her back, she looks up at him, his worried eyes on her.

“Are you okay?” He asks her, she nods and gives him a small smile. But she's not sure she is. There is a vision coming on, and from the feels of it, she's not going to like it.


	13. Chapter Eight

Dani pokes at her food, barely listening to the conversations occurring around her. She knows Neville is talking about why herbology is going to be exciting this year, with a whole new batch of plants to learn. Normally she would find his excitement for the subject utterly adorable, because it is, but her head is just fuzzy.

She jerks a little when thunder roars overhead, lightning flashing across the enchanted ceiling, rain begins leaking through the roof. Screams begin to fill the hall. The torches along the walls flicker casting the hall into an eerie semi-darkness. The rear doors fly open and a man stands in dark silhouette clad in a long black travelling cloak clutching a staff. Lightning flashes again and Alastor 'Mad-eye' Moody is revealed. He limps forward, leg clonking on the floor with each step, drawing eyes whilst his own, prosthetic eye scanning around the room.

“Bloody hell” Ron whispers loudly. “That's Mad-eye Moody” He informs the others.

“Mad-Eye Moody?” Hermione counters. “The Auror?”

“Auror?” Dean Thomas asks from down the table. Proving that Ron and Hermione were being none to quiet about their conversation.

“Dark wizard catcher,” Ron tells him. “Half the cells in Azkaban are filled thanks to him. Supposed to be mad as a hatter these days though. sees Death Eaters in his dustbin” Another bolt of lightning flashes above them. Annoyed, Moody points his wand to the ceiling and casting, a red jet of flames calms the enchanted sky. Slowly, the torches regain their bloom.

“My dear old friend, thanks for coming.” Dumbledore greets him.

“That stupid roof.” Moody points out, then brings a flask out from the inside of his cloak. He takes a drink as he takes a seat at the faculty table.

“What's that he's drinking do you suppose?” Seamus asks Harry.

“I don't know but I don't think it's Pumpkin Juice.” Harry answers. Moody's eye flickers over the tables before stopping on Dani as she rubs her head and lets out a sigh. His eye then moves to linger on Harry, zooming in and then out again.

….......

At the end of the feast, the new first years are the first to leave, following the prefects towards the dorms. After that, the other years start to trickle out at their own speed. McGonagall is one of the last of the teachers to leave, but she intends to now, but she has a mission in mind as she makes her way towards the back doors, she points at each Scamander scattered across the house tables.

“Scamanders,” McGonagall tells them. “The four of you, with me” She waves for them to follow her, Dani worries her hands together but stands and trails after her brothers and the professor.

…...........

McGonagall leads them to Dumbledore's office and Ray shoots Vis a look, assuming he has somehow done something already that has landed his entire family in trouble. Dumbledore stands at his desk, his eyes on an open book when they enter. Snape follows them in, closing the door behind him.

“Headmaster?” Ray asks. “Whatever Vis has done...” Dumbledore shakes his head and motions with his hand as Vis shoots Ray a dirty look.

“Rhaegar, it is nothing that your brother has done” Dumbledore assures Ray. “It is not anything any of you have done...It is regarding the events at the World Cup...” Dani closes her eyes and sighs. “Given recent events” Dumbledore starts. “It has been agreed, by myself, the faculty and the Ministry, that young Miss Scamander should remain on school grounds for the entirety of the year for her own safety...I'm afraid that means no trips to Hogsmeade....” Dani snorts and shakes her head.

“We're trying to protect you” McGonagall points out softly.

“What do I need to be protected from when no believes or listens to me?” Dani argues. “There's no threat if it's just all in my head”

“Dani” Ray warns her.

“No, I'm sick of people deciding what is best for me, when they don't......When they don't.....” She stops and cringes, her eyes flickering to a clouded state before returning to normal.

“Are you having a vision, right now?” Rolf asks her, surprise to his tone.

“No” She manages through clenched teeth. “It's just brewing...” She pushes the heel of her hand into her forehead and closes her eyes. She lets out a breath, trying to calm herself and her mind. She then leans up, dropping her hand. “I'm fine” She opens her eyes. “Only a few people believe that I am actually gifted.....and I'm tired of trying to help by voicing what I have seen only for it to go ignored.”

“Calm yourself,” Snape tells her. “There is no need to get upset”

“Upset?” She asks. “I have every right to be upset, to be locked away...that's what I have to look forward to...This is a school, not a prison” She argues. “If you wish to seem me locked away, send me to Azkaban” She clutches her head again when a sharp and loud sound begins to ring.

“I think you **are** having a vision” Ray offers slightly.

“No....no, no....this is different” She manages. “There is this noise in my head....” She cringes and turns her head, pressing her hand in harder. “Like a wail....like...” She closes her eyes. “Like a banshee” She admits, rather ironically. The noise in her head gets louder, and louder, and louder, before something sort of clicks into place. Dani collapses, unconscious on the floor. Vis snorts and lets out a breath.

“First day of school and she's already unconscious on the floor” Vis points out. “That bodes well for the rest of the year”


	14. Chapter Nine

Dani jerks awake and almost headbutts Madam Pomfrey who is quick enough to pull away before she is hit. Dani glances around. Finds herself in the medical wing. The last thing she remembers, she was in Dumbledore's office, and there was a sound in her head, almost like a scream. But then it had stopped. She was sure she heard a click. Like it was something settling into place. She reaches up and rubs her forehead. She doesn't feel as fuzzy now. There isn't a dull ache. It feels a little clearer now.

“Calm yourself, young one” Pomfrey tries when Dani tries to get up. “You are in the medical wing...”

“What happened?” Dani asks as she shuffles around a little, trying to get comfy. Pomfrey sets a pitcher of water on the bedside table and gives Dani a small smile.

“You passed out in Dumbledore's office,” She tells her as Ray walks into the medical wing. “Professor Snape brought you down here”

“So embarrassing” Dani whispers as she gets upset, she's sick of her body reacting this way to things that happen. First the dementors last year, and now this.

“You need to rest” Pomfrey scolds her. Ray gives her a sad smile and then nods to the bed.

“Do as you're told” He tells her, she clenches her teeth together and does consider arguing but she's already tired. She sits back on the bed and sets her hands in her lap. “Are you okay?” He asks her.

“Why do people keep asking me that?” He shrugs.

“I don't know...but I'm asking...Because you snapped, since when do you snap at anyone? Let alone a professor? And Professor Snape at that?” He asks her, she shrugs and looks away from him.

“I'm...I'm just sick of being treated as a thing that has to be....” She shakes her head and lets out a breath. “Everyone keeps making choices for me, telling me what to do without even asking me what I want....” Ray brushes her hair over her shoulder and raises an eyebrow.

“You don't think that these wizards who are all older and more experienced than you will know how to protect you best?” He counters. “That they know what they are doing”

“Why do they care?” She counters. “No one has ever listened to me....despite the fact I have been right, ever time....”

“Dani” He scolds a little. “You're fourteen years old. You're still a child. Everyone around you is trying to look out for you, to keep you safe....” She swings her legs and sighs. “So that you can make it into your adult years....no one wants to see you in the hands of dark wizards....”

“What if it doesn't matter?” She whispers. “What if it just gets worse? When is it going to end?” He sits next to her and wraps an arm around her shoulders.

“Being here, means that they can teach you how to best protect yourself, so then when you do leave, and you are out there on your own, you can make those choices for yourself....you just have to be patient. You just have to work hard....dedicate yourself to your studies.....Spend time with your friends....” She smirks a little.

“You're such a Hufflepuff” She teases, he nudges her and smirks back at her. He then pokes her head.

“And _**you**_...stubborn, determined....such a Gryffindor” He teases back, he then drops his smile. “Don't shut us out, Dani...I know you think you can do this on your own, but...you don't have to”

“Well, if no one is going to believe me” She whispers.

“It's not that” He stops her. “It's that they don't _want_ to believe you. Dani, you are pretty much a bad omen” She shoots him a look, he shakes his head. “You bring bad news, you can't help it, it's just what you can do. And they don't want to believe, they want to have hope that everything is going to turn out perfectly...”

“So I should stop telling people bad things are going to happen?” She asks him.

“Maybe just wait for the right moment” He counters, she looks down and sighs. She knows what he is saying. That she should keep her visions to herself. But that's not the point of a shadow-kissed. She's a true seer. She shouldn't hide that away. “I should be getting back, it's late and I only had a pass to come see you for a moment, you going to be okay?”

“Mmm-hmmm” She nods. “I am just going to go back to sleep” She admits.

“Okay” He kisses her head. “See you in the morning” He offers and then leaves her alone. She clenches her jaw and shakes her head. After Ray leaves, Draco slips into the room.

“Thought he'd never leave” Draco comments as he walks towards her. “Hear a rumour you were back in here” He sits on the bed next to her. “Can't get enough of Pomfrey's bedside manner, eh, Scamander?” He teases. But she's not really in the mood to smile. He notices. “What happened?” He asks softer.

“Usual” She whispers. “Stupid shadow-kissed curse actually being a curse” She looks at him. “What are you doing here? Aren't you going to get into trouble?” He scuffs his feet on the floor.

“Didn't really think about that” He mumbles under his breath and then gives her a small smile and a shrug. She lets out a breath and leans into his side, his arm wrapping around her.

…............

Hermione stands from the couch in the Gryffindor common room when Dani walks in. Hermione relaxing significantly seeing that her friend is okay. Neville smiles from where he sits in an armchair.

“Are you okay?” Hermione asks her. Dani nods and pulls off her jacket.

“I'm fine” She answers. “Just want to get on with this year....”

“Are you sure you're okay for class?” Hermione asks her. “I mean you passed out...”

“Who told you?” Dani asks. “Just so I know which brother to kill”

“It wasn't your brothers” Neville answers and then holds out a piece of parchment. “I found a note....from someone called Khal...I don't even know who that is” Dani steps closer and looks at the note. It's Draco's handwriting and his sign off. He had told her friends that she was in the hospital wing. She smiles and takes the letter from Neville. Hermione and Neville share a look.

“I'm going to change” Dani offers. “Before class...” She's already walking away from them and towards the stairs.


	15. Chapter Ten

Draco leans on the classroom table, his eyes on the reflection on a jar on the shelf across from him, it gives him a perfect view of Dani's usual seat beside Hermione. But it's empty. And class is about to begin. Dani is never late. She's usually here before him. He taps his fingers on his arm. His eyes shifting to Professor Moody as he moves to Neville's table. With a massive thud, Moody drops a textbook onto Neville's desk, the same textbook that sits on everyone's desk. _The Dark Forces: A Guide to Self-Protection._ Neville jumps a little and then sinks into his seat embarrassed.

"I see you all slogged down to Flourish and Blotts like good little boys and girls and bought the textbook," Moody tells the class. "Congratulations...It'll make a fine doorstop..." He turns to face the class. "I'm Alastor Moody, ex-Auror, Ministry malcontent, and your new Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher. I'm here because Dumbledore asked me. End of story. Goodbye, the end. Any questions?" Moody's eyes scan the silent classroom, lands on Harry. Stares at him. Moody turns away first, takes his flask from his coat. "When it comes to the Dark Arts, I believe in a practical approach. You may wonder what I mean by that. I'll show you..." He takes a swig of the flask and tucks it away before he pauses. "Miss Scamander" He states without having to look around. Dani cringes and hangs her head as she sneaks into class late. "Nice of you to finally join us"

"Sorry, Professor..." She offers, he turns to face her. "I urm...was with Dumbledore" She admits and then hurries to her seat next to Hermione. Hermione raises an eyebrow at Dani who shakes her head back.

"Anyway" Moody starts. "Which of you can tell me how many unforgivable curses there are?" The students all trade uneasy glances, unsure about the subject matter at hand here. Finally, it's Hermione who raises her hand. "I might've known. Go on, Miss Granger..."

"There are three, sir..." Hermione then stops. "How did you know..."

"Your name?" Moody asks her. "I know a bit more than that. You're top of your class, correct?"

"Yes, sir" Hermione answers.

"Naturally inquisitive?"

"Yes"

"Socially inept?"

"Well..."

"And...muggle-born" Moody then stops, prosthetic eye scanning over the students. "I'm not about to walk into a room full of strangers without doing background. Constant vigilance" He jabs his staff into the floor, right in front of Harry. As the class jumps, Harry studies Moody. "The devil likes disguises. Never forget that" Moody whispers to Harry before he moves on. "Again, Granger. How many curses?"

"Three" Hermione answers.

"And they're so named...?"

"Because they're _unforgivable._ " Hermione continues. "The use of any one of them..."

"Will earn you a one-way ticket to Azkaban, correct" Moody finishes for her. "Now, the Ministry says you're too young to see what these curses do. I say different. You need to know what you're up against. You need to be prepared. You need another place to put your gum besides the underside of your desk, Mr Finnegan" Seamus blinks, caught in the act.

"Blimey" He whispers. "The old codger can see out of the back of his head"

"And hear across classrooms" Moody adds. "So. Which curse shall we see first? Weasley?" Ron jerks, alarmed that he's been called on.

"Yes?" He squeaks in question.

"Give me a curse" Moody answers. Ron watches uneasily a little as Moody picks up a specimen jar that holds a spider. He reaches inside and lets the spider run up his arm.

"Well...my dad once told me about one....the imperius curse" Ron answers.

"I expect your father _would_ know that one" Moody points out. "Gave the Ministry a fair bit of grid some years ago. Perhaps this will show you why: Imperio" As Moody waves his wand, the spider leaps from his palm onto Parvati's shoulder. She shrieks and he flicks his wand, the spider bounds from her to Seamus to Dean to Lavender, on and on, until it lands on a horrified Ron. Moody grins, then summons the spider back to his palm. "Talented, isn't she?" He asks them. "What should I have her do next? Jump out a window? Drown herself? Scores of witches and wizards claimed they only did you-know-who's bidding while under the influence of the imperius curse. Here's the rub: how do you sort out the liars?" He glances around the room as that sinks in. "Another" He scans the classroom and then lands on Neville. "It's Longbottom, isn't it? Professor Sprout tells me you have an aptitude for herbology" Neville gives a shy nod.

"There's....the cruciatus charm" Neville offers. Dani closes her eyes and her heart sinks, she doesn't need to be a seer to know that this is going to upset Neville. She knows his history. He's told her.

"Yes. Particularly nasty" Moody states, he steps forward, looms over Neville and then drops the spider onto his desk. "Crucio" The spider twitches, legs trembling violently. Moody stands utterly motionless, eyes fixed on Neville who seems transfixed on the spider's misery. Dani's eyes drift from the spider to Neville's hands, which are clenching the corners of his desk so hard his knuckles are turning white.

"Stop it" Dani snaps at Moody. "Can't you see it's bothering him!" Moody still doesn't stop. "Stop it!" Dani snaps harder, firmer now. Finally, Moody drops his wand. The room is silent.

"Perhaps you could give us the last unforgivable curse, Miss Scamander...." Moody asks of her, she shakes her head. "Avada kedavra" There is a flash of green light, a rush of air, and the spider rolls onto its back. Dead. "The killing curse. There is no blocking it. Only one person is known to have survived it. And he's sitting in this room" As the others turn their eyes on him, Harry looks up.


	16. Chapter Eleven

Dani glances around the classroom as it empties out, her eyes shifting over them all, looking for Neville, she wants to check on him. She can't imagine what he must be feeling. He's not here. She hums a little, he must have fled as soon as the class ended. She grabs her book and then heads out. Trying to catch up with him. And she doesn't have to go far. He's standing at a stained glass window on the staircase, gazing vaguely beyond. Dani moves towards him.

“Nev” Dani touches his arm and he looks at her. “Are you okay?” She whispers softly, and she knows it's a stupid question of course he's not. He gives her a sad look and her heart breaks for him. Moody's boots announce his arrival, his hand coming down on Neville's shoulder.

“It's alright, sonny. You come with me. We'll have a cup of tea in my office” Moody offers and then leads Neville away. Dani lets out a breath and closes her eyes.

“Dani” Harry states as he, Ron and Hermione walk towards her. Dani lets out a breath, opens her eyes and turns to face him.

“What?” She asks, rather snappy too.

“Everything okay?” Harry counters. “You were late...”

“Yeah, I had a meeting with Dumbledore” She answers as she adjusts her hold on her book. “Just going over....” She shakes her head. “To be honest, Harry, it's none of your business” Harry gives her a confused look as she then turns and walks away.

“So Dani is mean this year” Ron comments, Hermione frowns, her eyes following her friend as she walks away. Something unsettling her. Dani's not mean. She's soft-spoken. Kind. Compassionate. She's not snappy or dismissive.

….........

Draco leans back against a table in the library, his eyes on Dani as she moves through the shelves. He's started liking coming to the library with her. It's usually quiet with most students heading off to the great hall for dinner so they don't have to be as careful about their friendship. He cocks his head slightly and then smirks.

“Come to Hogsmeade with me this weekend?” He asks her, she glances at him and then back to the bookshelf in front of her.

“You actually _**want**_ to go with me?” She asks him as she slides a few books back onto shelves, he frowns.

“Why are you studying already?” He asks her. “We've been here less than a week” He points out.

“Divination” She answers and shrugs.

“And yes” He then adds. “I do want to spend time with you outside of school and not in some cold, dark corridor or the back of the library among the dusty old books”

“You do realise people might actually see us together...” She reminds him, he shrugs a little. She sighs and then shakes her head. “I can't anyway” She whispers, he cocks his head. “I'm not allowed to leave because there are people trying to kidnap me” He closes his eyes with realisation. “So..thank you,” She tells him warmly. “For the invite...I just can't....” He sits on the table to watch as she grabs a new set of books. “Plus come on, Draco, do you really want to risk your little Slytherin buddies finding out that you've been slumming it with some Gryffindor girl?” She moves towards him and he takes her book from her, gives her a look.

“Dani” He scolds and sets the book down at his side. “You know that I don't think spending time with you is _slumming_ it” She shrugs and lets out a breath.

“You enjoy the reputation you have, Draco” She counters. “I am not going to help that”

“Why aren't you worried about what people will say about _**you**_ if they found out you are friends with me?” He asks with a small frown.

“People already say things about me behind my back” She reminds him. “That wouldn't be new to me” She takes her book back from the table and goes to walk away. Draco grabs her arm to stop her.

“Look” He starts and then sighs. “Things...” She gives him a soft smile.

“You need to stop apologising” She stops him, already knowing where he was going. “We talked about this...play your role....” She tugs on the scarf around his neck and gives him a look and pulls on the scarf before smirking, he shakes his head and smiles back at her.

“Come here,” He tells her as he grabs her wrist, she raises an eyebrow, he tugs a little.

“Why?” She asks him.

“Just come here” he pulls her closer, letting her step up between his legs. She releases his scarf, instead, drawing her fingers down the fabric. He nudges her nose with his and smirks before he kisses her. She smiles against his lips before pulling back.

“What was that for?” She asks him, he shrugs.

“I figured...with what happened on the train....” He explains.

“What?” She asks him with a small smirk. “That I'm your girlfriend?”

“You know what” he shakes his head and goes to turn away from her. She chuckles and grabs the scarf again, pulling him back.

“Who knew that there was such a sappy...needy....” He gives her a look and she pouts playfully at him.

“So?” He asks her and raises an eyebrow. She softens looking at him and goes to answer but there are voices behind them. Draco snaps his head around and sees a group of Ravenclaw girls heading for the divination aisle where he and Dani are. He turns back to Dani but finds that she's already walking away from him. He closes his eyes and sighs.


	17. Chapter Twelve

Hermione smiles as she watches the fire that erupts from her birthday card spell out happy birthday. She turns to look at Dani who had given her the card. She's been distant from them since the start of the year, but maybe it's just the stress of the fourth year that's been getting to her. Especially adding on the threat to her freedom, her basically being held captive in the castle because she's not allowed to leave. And her extra divination lessons. It must be driving her mad. Which is probably not something she wants, considering.

“Thank you, Dani,” Hermione tells her, Dani smiles back and shrugs.

“I would have gotten you a gift but as I haven't been anywhere...”

“It's okay” Hermione assures her. “I love this” She holds up the card and nods at Dani, reassuring her that this is perfect. She knows Dani hasn't had the opportunity to do anything really, but that she hand made a card with enchantment, is really thoughtful. And something really hard to get right. Some times people forget that Dani is actually a gifted witch, and not just a seer. Hermione hugs Dani tightly, Dani keeps her hands at her side a moment before hugging her back.

…......

Dani's mood seems to instantly shift with the arrival of Harry to the common room. She sinks back in her seat and keeps more to herself. She can't even explain it. It's like the closer he is, the more she wants to punch him. She can't even say why. He's just annoying her this year already. It's like something in her instincts is telling her to be...wary. To pull back a bit. She was already planning on doing so anyway. They have no interest in her help, so she's not going to give it to them it. Dumbledore, at least, is taking her more seriously this year. Whether to make her feel better or whether he actually believes her is another story, and to be honest, she doesn't care, he's listening and not dismissing her, that's good enough for her. Hermione looks around for Dani but finds her already gone from her seat. Hermione sighs a little. She knows something is bothering her but if Dani won't talk to them.

…........

Dani sits in an empty hall, alone, her crystal ball in her lap. She just needed to get away from the others. Clear her head. Draco peers around the corner before realising that she is actually sat there. He heads towards her.

“Dani” He greets, she hums and glances at him. “What are you doing all the way up here?” He asks as he reaches her. He wasn't expecting to find her on the seventh floor. It's rather a ways from the Gryffindor tower. And there is nothing up here that she would have any interest in.

“Sooo” Draco draws out as he sits next to her, legs stretched out in front of him. “I've been thinking about our situation”

“Oh, and what situation is that?” She asks not looking up from her crystal ball.

“You not being able to leave” Draco answers. She hums a little. “Polyjuice,” He tells her. She laughs a little and then turns to him.

“Oh,” She stops. “You're serious” She realises. “Draco, that's...” She stops and then shakes her head. “Neither of us are good enough at potions to pull off making polyjuice”

“It can't be that hard” He mumbles as he reaches over and takes the crystal ball from her. “I mean...you're pretty smart, right?” She gives him a look.

“Pretty smart?” She asks him. “Is that genius in bully speak?” She teases, he smirks and shakes his head. She sighs a little. “Okay. I will look into it” She offers. “But no promises that it's going to work...” She hums a little in thought. “And there is the question of where we're going to get the ingredients from”

“I'll figure that out” He offers as he hands her crystal ball back. “We both know that you hate being stuck in the castle” He whispers to her with a smirk, she glances at him. “We can do this” He adds softer. “It's just one potion....we're smart enough for that” She smiles a little and gives him a doubtful look, he nudges her before he stands. “Okay, I've got herbology” He manages with an eye roll. Dani smirks a little as he walks away, she looks back down at her crystal ball and brushes her thumbs over the glass as her eyes cloud over. A soft singing in her head. She suddenly looks up and along the hall to a wall, her eyes seemingly burning into it with an intensity. But she has no idea why. She shakes her head and then stands, walking away.

….......

Dani lays awake in bed. Her eyes on the canopy above her. The other girls are all fast asleep. Dani is thinking about polyjuice. She might have scoffed at first, but it is a good idea. And possibly the only way for her to get out of the castle. Even for a couple of hours. But it's breaking school rules. It's making a dangerous potion that she's never attempted before. She's not even sure if she knows the ingredients off the top of her head. So she's going to need a book, but she guesses that would likely be in the restricted section of the library. So getting in there is going to be hard. She sighs and rolls onto her side. Why she is even considering this is stupid. Just for a few hours, she is willing to break the school rules and go against the protection plan in place.


	18. Chapter Thirteen

Draco and Dani've learnt when to meet in the library, when it is quiet. When there are less people in it. She does it to keep him happy. She knows that his reputation is something he basks in, it's just who he is. Being seen with her won't help that. But he does it to protect her too. The backlash that will come from her being friends with him. She already has enough going on. She doesn't need to worry about what her others friends might say. He knows what they'll say. He's not exactly given them the best view of himself. She gets everything. That's all that matters to him. That she sees the better side of him. She's the only one that deserves to see that side of him. And he likes when he catches her alone, when she thinks no one is watching her. When she relaxes, sort of. She's sat staring at the restricted section in the library, but she looks tired. He sits beside her and she takes a breath, turning to him. He gives her a small smile.

“Hello” He whispers, she hums back at him.

“So...I found a book that has the polyjuice recipe in” She admits. “Here...in the library”

“That's great” He tells her with a smile, she shrugs and pulls a face. “That's not great?” He asks her.

“Sure, I guess....” She mumbles. “Any idea how we're going to get into the restricted section?” She asks him, Draco shrugs and pulls a face. No. He has no idea. She sighs and shakes her head. “Maybe this was just a....long shot” She whispers. “Sorry, Draco” She looks at him. “You can just go to Hogsmeade without me” But he knows how much being stuck in the castle is bothering her. She never got to go last year because of her extra divination lessons. And if this threat on her isn't fixed then her summer, next year, the next.....this is going to be her life. He shakes his head.

“No” He stops her. “No, we'll figure it out” He scolds her. “Come on, we're both smart people, we can figure out how to get in without getting caught” He gives her a look. “Where's your Gryffindor determination?”

“On its last legs,” She mumbles and closes her eyes as she thinks. She pulls a face and then opens her eyes. “What about the shrinking charm?” She offers, Draco pulls a face and then nods. “We'll have to cast it at the exact same time though...” He lets out a breath.

“Okay” He agrees. “Or...you cast it on me and I'll go look for the book” She folds her arms over her chest.

“Why you?” She asks. “I know what book we're looking for” She turns to him and raises an eyebrow. “Unless you don't trust me?”

“No” He argues, quickly. “It's me” He counters. “I don't trust myself to cast on you” She cocks her head a little.

“Draco, you're a good wizard,” She tells him. “And I trust you” he laughs a little, though there is no real humour in it, and gives her a look.

“You shouldn't”

“Why?” She counters. He looks away again, Dani steps closer to him. “Is this about how your father used to be a Death Eater?” She asks him, he hums and then snaps his gaze up to her. “Yeah, I already knew....” She admits. “It's not exactly a secret. And what does it matter?” he reaches up so he can play with her hair. “He's not a Death Eater any more. You-know-who is gone” Draco nods. “You can be whoever you want to be...” He wraps an arm around her shoulders and pulls her into a tight hug, she wraps her arms around his back and he hums a little. “You're crushing me” She grumbles with a smile into his chest. Draco smirks and releases her. “Okay, so...we'll both do the spell” She tells him, he nods.

“What book am I looking for?” He asks as he pulls his wand from his robes.

“Moste Potente Potions” She answers as she does the same. “On three” She points her wand at him, he hesitates, still feeling a little worried about doing this, about casting on his closest friend. “Draco,” She tells him.

“I know” He holds out his wand.

“Reducio” They both cast together, and then seemingly disappearing from sight, though just shrinking.

…...........

Later: In a dark nook, Draco and Dani huddle round a book entitled Moste Potente Potions. The spotted pages are littered with disturbing illustrations. He honestly didn't think she had it in her, to break school rules, but he's also kind of proud of her. Impressed. She stops on a page and nods.

“Here it is: Polyjuice Potion.” She reads and lets her eyes trace over the list of ingredients. “I’ve never seen a more complicated potion” She warns. “Knotgrass, fluxweed, lacewing flies, leeches, horn of bicorn, boomslang skin....And, of course, we'll need a bit of whoever you want me to change into too.” She leans up. “Who am I changing into exactly?”

“Urm...” Draco draws off, she sighs. “I'll figure it out” He tells her. “Find a Slytherin girl or something....”

“You'll have to get me some clothes as well...” She adds. “So I dress like her” He nods and touches her back, fingers playing with her hair.

“How long will it take to make?” He asks.

“A month.” She answers.

“A month?” He asks her and sighs.

“You are the one that wants to go into the village with me” She reminds him as she closes the book. He leans back against the shelf and nods.

“Okay” He agrees. “This is the only way to get you out of the castle for an afternoon, so...a month” She nods in agreement. “Fine” He looks at the book. “Make me a list and I'll get the ingredients”

“Have you figured out how yet?” She asks, he hums and shrugs.

“Not yet” He answers. “But I will. I'm working on it” He assures her. “Just give me a few days” He lets out a breath and then nods. She hums and touches the scarf, she smiles, every time she sees it around his neck. A reminder that he saved her life. Saved her freedom. That he was there for her when she needed him to be.

“I know you will” She whispers fondly. He gives her an unsure smile, unsure if he deserves all this faith she seems to put in him. The trust. He pokes her nose and then lets out a breath before he walks away. He came up with this idea to get her out of the castle because Dani is like the dragons, she doesn't do well in captivity. She needs her freedom. 


	19. Chapter Fourteen

ZuZu bounces his way around the railing in the Astronomy tower. It's quiet up here. Which is why Dani likes it. it's not very often that anyone comes up here outside of class. But ZuZu likes the height and seen as he can't fully fly yet, it's nice for him. Dani watches the crowds of students below as they head off to Hogsmead. And she is still stuck here. No polyjuice yet. It is a difficult potion, and so far so good, she thinks. She's never brewed this before. It's a potion that even adults struggle with.

"Nev" She turns to where he is sat against the wall, reading aloud to her from a herbology book. That book that had been given to him by Professor Moody. "Are you sure you don't want to go to Hogsmeade with the others?" She asks him, he smiles at her and shakes his head.

"No" He answers. "I want to spend the day with you, we've barely spent any time together, you've been...." He then stops, she raises an eyebrow at him.

"What?" She asks him.

"Disappearing a lot" He answers.

"I have my extra divination lessons" She reminds him. "And I've been spending a lot of time in the library..." She holds up the small book in her hand. "Studying dragons" He smirks at her.

"You know everything about dragons" He teases, she sticks out her tongue at him and shrugs, he's not really all that wrong about that. "And you had all those extra divination classes last year..."

"Next year will be the OWLs," She tells him. "Divination is going to be a huge deal for me...Trelawney is just giving me a head start. I can't fail, I can't get anything less than perfection on that, Nev...." He gives her a sad look because he knows she's right. She can't fail divination.

"You haven't really talked about your visions this year"

"It's been less than a month"

"Still..." He argues.

"Yeah, well, no one listens to me so.." She shrugs and looks back at ZuZu. "Why bother"

"So you have had them..." He points out, she hums and nods.

"Do we know a Cedric Diggory?" She asks him.

"Not personally" He answers. "He's a Hufflepuff," He tells her. "Are you dreaming about him?"

"Yeah" She answers and picks up ZuZu. "It's weird...because I'm also dreaming about dragons...well, that's not weird...if I don't have a vision dream, I usually dream of dragons anyway, but...I'm dreaming of dragons, Diggory....and Harry" She frowns and shrugs. "Like they are intertwined....and there is this light and a whisper...I can't...make it out though...." She shakes her head, presses her fingers into her forehead with a deep breath. "I've told Trelawney and Dumbledore, so important people know"

"Don't you think you should tell Harry that you're having _your_ _dreams_ about him?" He asks her.

"I'm done being ignored, Nev, I'm a seer, and no one listens...." She points out. "I warned them...time and time again....no more. If Dumbledore thinks that my vision means something, he'll pass on the message" She then looks down at the book in her hand, a handwritten guide from Newt, co-written by Apollo, as to how she can help ZuZu, how she can raise him. "Okay," She looks up. "Let's try this again" She pulls a cube of uncooked beef from a pouch on her belt. She holds it up so ZuZu can see it. She then sets it on the ground in front of him. "Dracarys," She tells the young dragon who blinks and cocks his head back at her. "Dracarys" Dani pushes slightly and flickers her eyes between him and the meat. He rears back and makes a happy little noise, clocking on. He makes a noise, in the back of his throat, something sharp and high pitched before he fires a blast of something that looks like lightning at the beef which crackles and smokes before settling. Dani and Neville stare, wide-eyed.

"Was that....lightning?" Neville asks, he and Dani staring at ZuZu who grumbles happily as he eats.

"I have to write to Newt" She states. She wasn't aware that dragons could spit lighting like that. Fire yes. But never lightning.

"That was lightning" Neville points out. "Did you know that dragons do that?"

"No" Dani answers. "I've never....I've never heard of a dragon spitting lightning" She admits as she flicks through the little book. "But...Newt said that no one has even seen a Night Fury in a century...."

"What?" Neville asks her. "You never told me that" She shrugs a little.

"I didn't think it was important" She mumbles and looks down at ZuZu who is rather happy where he is. She lets out a soft sigh with a smile. No matter what that was, what he did, he's still ZuZu. Still her baby dragon. Still her baby.

"Not important, but interesting.....he's unique..." Neville then chuckles, Dani frowns and looks at him. "Of course he is..." Neville comments. "You're Dani....nothing short of unique was ever going to be good enough for you" She shoots him a look and then smirks back. Again. He's not wrong. "I don't even know what breed Drogon was...."

"Finnish Swiftback" She informs him. "He was the only one in England, but not the last of his kind, like ZuZu....not like Drogon's babies will be, they'll be the first hybrid dragons ever born...."

"His mate isn't a Finnish Swiftback?" Neville asks.

"No, she's a Hungarian Horntail" Dani answers. "They said that he would never have eggs with her and that it was purely a companionship mating, Drogon and Yze proved them wrong" She looks at ZuZu. "I love dragons" She muses, Neville chuckles and goes back to his book. "They never cease to amaze me" She whispers to herself.


	20. Chapter Fifteen

Dani stands at the huge notice board outside of the Great Hall, her eyes on the parchment announcing that the Beauxbaton and Durmstrang schools will be arriving at the end of the week. She'd kind of forgotten about them and the tournament. She has a bad feeling about this whole thing. ZuZu shifts on her shoulders, eyes on the students that mill about. He sticks his tongue out at a first-year student who stares at him at they pass Dani by. Every set of first years react the same, not just with ZuZu but with Drogon too. Dani is used to it. ZuZu not so much. Dani scratches at her arm and hums a little. Newt is remarkably uninformed about the Night Fury, she's not surprised though. If, as a species, they are so rare, then even Newt is going to struggle. So Dani is making a sort of Night Fury journal. Anything he does. Any behaviour. She might actually one day be the leading specialist in Night Furies, that would be pretty cool. That would be amazing actually.

“I had kind of forgotten about this” Vis mumbles at Dani's side, she glances at him and then back at the board.

“Me too” She admits. He glances at her, studies her a little. He bumped into Neville in the library who admitted that he was worried about Dani. This last month she's been more absent, more flighty. Disappearing. But she looks fine. She seems fine. No worse for wear. She actually looks a lot less stressed out. That maybe there is a lightness to her this year. “What do you want, Vis?” She asks.

“Neville's worried about you” He admits, she gives him a look.

“Since when do you talk to Neville?” She counters and then cocks her head. “Actually, since when do you care?”

“Dani” He scolds and steps closer to her. “You're my sister, and I know I can be.... ** _difficult_** , but I have been trying....” She looks down and softens because he had been trying over the summer. They were closer than they had ever been.

“I am fine” She offers. “I just haven't been spending much time with Nev, I haven't had any spare time...with Divination and ZuZu's care...” She shrugs a little and catches sight of Draco along the corridor, he nods to the stairs behind him. She motions with her hand and turns to Vis. “I'm fine” She repeats and then walks away.

.............

Dani drops ZuZu off in the Gryffindor common room before she heads off in search of Draco.

….........

Draco heads along a second-floor corridor. He'd actually ended up stealing them from Snape's supply cupboard for their polyjuice potion ingredients. And Dani has been working on the potion for the last month. Going stir crazy with every day that she is trapped inside the castle. It was different last year, last year she chose to stay for her extra divination classes, but this year, she feels as though she has been trapped inside. Because she has been. She's a caged dragon. Draco glances around the second-floor hall before he lets himself into the girl's bathroom. Where he almost instantly runs into a ghost who is glaring at him.

…........

Dani rolls her eyes as she heads towards the same bathroom. Listening to Myrtle's voice echoing in the corridor. Dani pushes open the door and lets herself in.

“Myrtle” Dani scolds as she walks in. “I can hear you yelling from down the corridor”

“Do you know this boy, Dani?” Myrtle asks whilst motioning at Draco who she has cornered against the wall.

“Yes, he's my friend...so leave him alone....” Dani tells her, Myrtle shifts closer to Draco, her eyes scanning over him as he glares back at her. Myrtle lets out a high pitched giggle. “Don't be naughty” Dani scolds with a smirk as she opens one of the stalls where she had stashed her supplies.

“Why are we in here?” Draco asks Dani.

“No one comes in here” Dani assures him as she sets down the cauldron. “Between Myrtle and the Chamber...” Draco glances at the taps when she motions to them. She sits cross-legged in front of the cauldron and then opens the potion book at her side.

“Right” Draco whispers as Myrtle sort of stares at him. “Why is she staring at me?”

“How often do you think boys come in here?” Dani counters with a smile. “Plus...you're cute” Draco snorts and shoots her a look.

“Cute?” He asks her. “Just...cute?” She hums and smirks as she double checks her work. Draco huffs a little and then frowns thoughtfully. Cute's not exactly what a fourteen-year-old wants to hear. Not from the girl he likes. He clenches his fist slightly and finds that he is clutching to the clothes he had taken. He glances down at them and then steps closer to Dani. “Here” He sets some clothing at her side and then holds out a small vial containing hairs. She takes the vial and turns it around in her hand.

“Where did you get these?” She asks and then frowns. “Do I want to know?” She counters.

“I stole her hairbrush” He admits, she raises an eyebrow and then nods.

“No, I did not want to know” She answers her own question and then pours the contents of the vial into the cauldron and then stirs it till the hairs dissolve into the mixture. “Okay,” She whispers, then ladles a spoonful into a tankard mug and then stands. Draco frowns slightly.

“Are you sure this is going to work?” He asks her.

“Well.....I'm sure I've done everything right. It looks like the book said it should.” She assures him, he gives her a look back. “I told you” She reminds him. “It's a complicated recipe” She stares down at the liquid. “Once I've drunk it, we'll have an hour before I turn back”

“An hour?” He asks. “It's forty minutes there and back”

“So we run” She teases and shakes the mug, she pulls a face, she goes to drink from it.

“Wait, wait” Draco grabs her wrists and she frowns at him.

“What?” She asks him.

“Just.....” He starts and shifts closer to her. He brushes his lips over hers. Dani closes her eyes and kisses him back. There is a wolf whistle from the toilet stalls and Dani turns her head to look at Myrtle who leans on the top of a stall watching them.

“Myrtle” Dani scolds, the ghost laughs and heads down through the pipes, Draco smirks a little against Dani's cheek. “Let's get this over with” Dani offers and heads into the stall and he swings his arms at his side as he waits. His eyes drifting back to the stall and then away again. Cute. She'd called him cute. He at least thought he was more attractive than cute. She steps out of the stall, and just as it was meant to, she looks nothing like herself. The Slytherin girl he'd taken those hairs from was literally the furthest thing from Dani he could find. Long black hair. Bright green eyes. Slightly tanned skin. He pulls a face, cringing slightly as she moves towards him. “What?” She asks him, he shakes his head.

“It's just....weird” He admits as he lifts up her hair to play with it. “Doesn't look like you”

“Isn't that the point?” She counters, he lets out a breath.

“Well, yeah...” He agrees but it goes deeper than that. He likes the white hair. He likes the purple eyes. The pale skin. They were the first things he noticed about her. Her identity is so tied up in those features. He touches her cheek, curling his hand around her cheek. He pulls a face. She doesn't even feel the same.

“We're wasting time,” She tells him as she pulls back and starts to clean up, tucking all the potion items back into the stall to cover their tracks.


	21. Chapter Sixteen

Vis likes to think that he is observant. Especially when it comes to those around him, and his family. And he is pretty sure what he is looking at is....wrong. Daphne Greengrass is standing in front of a bookshop in Hogsmeade. Vis narrows his eyes a little when she turns around, the green crystal catching the light and he sighs. Firstly, he wasn't aware Dani was smart enough to figure out polyjuice. Secondly, she must have a Slytherin co-conspirator because the form she has is that of a Slytherin girl. It all seems to make sense when Draco appears at her side, Dani glancing up at him as he talks to her. Either Draco is unaware and just thinks he's talking to Daphne, but as he has never made any move to really talk to her before, Vis is going to say that this is Dani's little Slytherin helper. Surprising. 'Daphne' moves on and down the street, Draco's eyes following her as Vis sidles up to him, looking rather giddy actually. He is pretty sure he has figured out what is going on here with them.

“Why is Dani wearing Greengrass?” Vis asks, Draco raises an eyebrow and glances at Dani before looking back at Vis.

“What?”

“Maybe next time you two use polyjuice to break the rules....get her to take off her necklace” Vis points out, Draco glances at Dani again to see her necklace dangling around her neck. Draco sighs and hangs his head. “So...I didn't know you two were friends” Vis asks as he swings his arms at his side.

“Well....we are” Draco counters and tucks his hands in his trouser pockets. “Problem?”

“Surprised” Vis answers. “Considering she punched you last year....” Draco gives half a shrug and glances at Dani. Vis the snorts. “You _like_ her” He realises, Draco rolls his eyes slightly. Vis then chuckles. “Oh...this is....” Draco turns to him and gives him a glare.

“What?” Draco asks him. “What is it?” He steps closer.

“Nothing” Vis answers with a smirk. He then chuckles and shakes his head. “It all makes sense now....you're different this year.”

“Different how?” Draco inquires with a frown.

“Just different” Vis points out with a shrug. “Was it because she punched you?” Vis asks. “Because I think that says a lot about you” Draco glares at Vis who smirks back at him. Draco shakes his head and then hurries to catch up with Dani.

….........

Dani literally only makes it one step back into Hogwarts when the polyjuice wears off. She shakes out her hair and lets out a breath. Whilst she was happy to get out of the castle, it was barely long enough to make much of a difference. And being back inside, she can feel it all creeping back in. Draco watches her slightly from her side. 

“Dani?” She glances at Draco. “Everything okay?” She nods and forces a smile at him. But it's back. That noise in her head. The singing. She reaches up and threads her fingers through her hair to touch her head. “Dani” Draco moves closer to her, already seeing that there is something wrong.

“Thanks for today” She is quick to tell him. “I had fun” She is then fleeing, heading towards the Gryffindor tower, her fingers pressing into her head. Draco frowns a little as he watches her go.

….........

Dani sits in an armchair in the common room, her fingers pressed into her head, eyes closed. It feels worse now. Now she has had some relief from it. it's like it came back with a vengeance because she dared to go outside. But she feels like it is trying to tell her something. She just doesn't know what that something is. The singing, whilst beautiful is annoying and does not have lyrics. There are no clues she can take from this, other than it is clear that it only happens in the castle, which means, that it is about Hogwarts. That it is trying to tell her something about the school. But it's not giving her enough to figure it out. She is also pretty certain this is nothing to do with her visions. It doesn't feel the same.

“Dani?” Hermione asks as she sits across from her. “You okay?” Dani hums and nods.

“Just a headache” She manages through her teeth as she rubs her head.

“Maybe you should go and see Madam Pomfrey” Hermione offers, Dani shakes her head.

“No” She argues. She does not want to end up spending more time in the hospital wing. That's just embarrassing. She is trying not to end up in there any more this year. So far so good. “It'll pass” She adds and glances at the fireplace.

“You've been very....quiet about things this year” Hermione admits. “Are you still having visions?”

“Oh yeah....” Dani answers. “Something is coming, something big, something dark.....” She looks at Hermione and shrugs. “Betrayal. Death. Dragons. The usual” She then gives a smirk and stands from her seat.

“Dani, if this....” Hermione starts.

“What? Tell you guys?” Dani asks. “What good would that do? Those that need to know...know and that's all that matters....” She then walks away, heading up to the girls' dorm room.


	22. Chapter Seventeen

It's just before dinner when it is announced that the other schools are arriving. This causes a sort of mass hysteria among the Hogwarts students. They crowd the parapets outside. Bodies all wedge together to get a closer look. And among them is Dani and Neville. Both stood together. Both edging forward for a good look. Fingers touch her hand before they are threading with hers. She snaps her head around, about to shout at whoever it is that has grabbed her hand until she realises that it's Draco who's managed to slip in beside her. Draco's eyes flicker to meet hers, his lip twitching into a small smile before he turns to look out at the view beyond. This is about as public as they have been. She knows it's because of the crowd. He can easily get away with being near her. He squeezes her hand and she smiles to herself. Suddenly, a rumble fills the sky and a team of winged horses cleave through the clouds, pulling a gigantic powder-blue carriage. With an earth-shattering thud, the carriage lands. Just then, great bubbles roll across the glossy surface of the Black Lake and a long mast breaches the surface, rising higher and higher. A black ship rises out of the lake, looking skeletal and ghostly in the darkening sky. Students then all hurry from the parapets and down towards the courtyard below. But Dani remains where she is. Her eyes clouding over a little. Neville notices and hangs back to wait for her.

“Dani?” Neville asks, she hums and then shakes her head, her eyes returning to normal. “What is it?” She glances over the edge of the parapets.

“I have a really bad feeling” She admits as she touches her stomach. There is a feeling in her gut. A bad one. A really really bad one. “Like nothing I've felt before” She closes her eyes. Images flickering behind them. She opens them again and turns to Neville who can see how scared she is of whatever she saw, whatever she is feeling.

…..........

In the courtyard, students scramble into position, then turn expectantly to Dumbledore, who stands with the faculty. Everyone is waiting on bated breath to see what is happening. To see these other magical schools. Harry notices a man near the back of the lineup; Barty Crouch. He nudges Ron at his side.

“What's he doing here?” Ron asks.

“Please join me in welcoming the lovely ladies of the Beauxbatons Academy of magic and their headmistress Madame Maxime,” Dumbledore announces to the courtyard as Dani and Neville find their place with Hermione and the other Gryffindors, Hermione glances at Dani just as a woman (Madam Maxime) strides into the courtyard. She is beautiful. She is elegant. She is ten feet tall.

“Blimey, that's one big woman,” Seamus comments on Dani's other side. Then, one by one, a procession of stunningly beautiful Beauxbaton girls enter the courtyard in graceful synchronisation, clad in silky, skin-clinging robes, they make a decided impression on every boy present. Suddenly, one after the other, they pitch themselves forward and cartwheel to the centre of the courtyard where, allayed in a circle, they await their last two members. Fleur Delacour and her 8-year-old sister, Gabrielle. Vaulting side by side to the centre of the circle. The courtyard roars with approval. “Madame Maxime” Dumbledore greets the tall woman. “Welcome to Hogwarts, my dear”

“Ah, Dumbly-dorr. You are well, yes?”

“Blooming” He assures her. She steps away, passing Hagrid. Suddenly, the thrum of balalaikas fills the courtyard. “And now....our friends from the north. Please greet the proud sons of Durmstrang” Dumbledore announces to the waiting crowd of students. Igor Karkaroff strides forth, trailed by a regiment of stoic Durmstrang boys in dark cloaks. As Karkaroff reaches the top of the courtyard, he glances around at the Hogwarts students.

“Dear old Hogwarts...” He comments. “It's so....”

“Perfectly imperfect?” Dumbledore asks. Karkaroff smiles, turns to Snape, who nods curtly.

“Igor” Snape greets.

“Severus. Long time, no see. And Barty....almost didn't recognise you. You look so.... _tired_. Sleeping well these days?” Crouch just glowers back at him. Karkaroff smiles, then snaps his fingers. A quartet of Durmstrang boys bring torches to their lips and spit dazzling comets of fire into the air.

“Omigod!” Ron suddenly states. “It's him!” Eyes all turn to look, at the end of the line, brooding behind his shadowed brow, is Viktor Krum. Ron looks about ready to melt right where he stands. Dani clenches her jaw as she glances around. Her hand rubbing at her forearm, subconsciously when her eyes land on Karkaroff.


	23. Chapter Eighteen

Dani sits between Neville and Hermione in the great hall for the welcoming feast that's been put on for the visiting schools. It's a little more elaborate than anything they would get themselves. Obviously, the school going to great lengths to show off. The Durmstrang students are all sat with the Slytherin table whilst the Beauxbatons join the Ravenclaw table now, across at the Gryffindor table, Ron begins to stuff his face as he stares across the hall at Viktor Krum.

"Brilliant. Isn't he?" Ron asks.

"He's _eating_ " Hermione points out.

"Why do you suppose they've been put at the Slytherin table?" Harry ask.

"Birds of a feather" Hermione answers. "Durmstrang puts a lot of emphasis on the Dark Arts" Harry glances at the Durmstrang students. A group of men bring in an intricate tall sort of box and place it at the top of the hall as Dumbledore approaches it.

"Your attention please!" Dumbledore calls for the attention of the hall once again. "I would like to say a few words before we bring in the casket"

"Casket?" Neville asks Dani. "Did he say casket?" She hums, but honestly isn't paying that much attention. That noise in her head is back and she is struggling to hear anything outside of it.

"Eternal glory, that is what awaits the student who wins the tri-wizard tournament. But to do this that student must survive three tasks. Three extremely dangerous tasks. For this reason, the ministry has seen fit to impose a new rule. To explain all this we have the head of the department of international magic cooperation, Mister Bartimus Crouch." Barty Crouch moves to the box, all attention now on him.

"After much deliberation, the ministry has concluded that for their own safety no student under the age of seventeen shall be allowed to put forth their

name for the tri-wizard tournament. This decision is final." The crowd is unsettled, people are booing.

"That's rubbish!" George Weasley yells and boos from the Gryffindor table.

"Silence!" Dumbledore orders and the room almost instantly falls so. Dumbledore casts magic over the box which melds into a goblet containing

a blue flame. "The Goblet of Fire," Dumbledore informs them. "Anyone wishing to submit themselves for the tournament merely write their name upon a piece of parchment and throw it in the flame before this hour on Thursday night. Do not do so lightly, if chosen there's no turning back. As from this moment the tri-wizard tournament has begun." Dani lifts her eyes from her food and across the room, glancing over the Beauxbaton girls at the Ravenclaw table and to the Durmstrang boys at the Slytherin table before they settle on where Draco is making awe eyes at Viktor and Dani smiles a little. It's not often Draco lets his guard down. And it's kind of sweet that he has a hero worship thing for the Quidditch player. Not some dark wizard. But a Quidditch player. Draco glances at her and raises an eyebrow, she just smirks wider at him, he shakes his head and blushes slightly, caught out. Dani chuckles.

"What's so funny?" Neville asks her, Dani shakes her head.

"Nothing" She whispers as she goes back to her food.

.................

After dinner, Draco and Dani manage to slip away to the library, where they will stay until it closes and they are forced to retreat to their individual common rooms. Dani rests back against Draco's chest as he reads from a potions textbook, her own eyes on the divination one in her lap. It's nice. When they sit like this. In a dark, quiet corner of the library, away from prying eyes and judgmental gazes that they know they would get. She's small enough that she can settle against him with ease and comfort. He likes that. That she's tiny. Here they are just Dani and Draco and not the Gryffindor Shadow-Kissed or the Slytherin bully. When they are wrapped up in just being themselves and there is no pressure from the outside to see things or be mean. It also helps that now Vis is sort of in on it, he helps them. He lingers close by and stops other students getting closer. He knows that Draco is different but it's not a bad different. His grades are better. He's a better wizard. Slytherin students have been gaining more house points. The atmosphere in the common room isn't so toxic or stifling. Slytherins are laughing and joking. Draco with Dani proves to be something of a good thing for their house. If he's happy, he's not tormenting anyone else. Draco closes his book and lets out a breath, Dani glances at the book and then back to her own.

"What?" She asks him, he curls his arm around her and pulls her closer, she lets out a small squeak and almost drops her own book. "What are you doing?" She chuckles a little when he presses his nose to her neck. "Ah, cold...Draco, your nose is cold" He chuckles softly into her neck and then pulls back.

"Sorry" He whispers and then brushes his hand over his nose, she chuckles and shakes her head watching him. He smiles at her as he pulls his hands back, fingers reaching out to pull her back to him. She lets out a soft breath and curls into his chest. He brushes his nose behind her ear and smiles as she leans closer, his arms wrapping around her again. "Better?" He asks, she hums in agreement.


	24. Chapter Nineteen

Dani is sat in the Great Hall again days later, with ZuZu perched on her shoulder, he'd wanted to be here for the whole Goblet reveal thing. She honestly didn't want to be here, she wanted to head up to the seventh floor, for some unknown reason, her head is just pushing her to go up there. Has been every day, but there are more students around now, it makes it harder for her to slip away unnoticed. Dumbledore stands in the centre of the room with the goblet.

“Sit down please.” He orders of the remaining standing students. “And now the moment you've all been waiting for, the champions selection!” Dumbledore approaches the blue flame and it glows red. A name comes fluttering out of the cup. The whole room holds it's breath as they wait for the name to be read out. Dumbledore plucks the piece of parchment from the sky. “That champion for Durmstrang is...Viktor Krum” A storm of applause accompanies Viktor from the Slytherin table as he stands and walks up to the top room and into the adjoining room beyond.

“No surprise there” Ron comments. The room once again grows silent, all eyes on the Goblet. The flames turn red and it spits the second piece of parchment from within. Dumbledore catches it.

“The champion for Beauxbatons is...Fleur Delacour” Cheers erupt for Fleur, mostly the male students as she stands and follows Viktor's path. Hermione rolls her eyes. “And lastly, the Hogwarts champion” Dumbledore offers as he catches the third piece of parchment. “Cedric Diggory” Hufflepuff's table cheers and explodes with support. “Excellent” Dumbledore tells the room as it quietens down again. His eyes flicker to Dani who is still staring at the goblet. “We now have our three champions. But in the end, only one will go down in history. Only one will hoist this chalice of champions, this vessel of victory the tri-wizard cup!” People cheer, but the goblet glows red once more and another name flies out, Dani's eyes close and she hangs her head. Dumbledore takes it and reads. “Harry Potter. Harry Potter? Harry Potter!”

“Go on Harry. Harry, for goodness sake.” Hermione warns him, Harry stands from his seat and slowly walks past Dumbledore. Voices in the crowd shout out.

“He's a cheat! He's not even seventeen yet” A student yells.

“Miss Scamander” Dumbledore states and she looks at him. “With me,” He tells her, she stands from her seat and walks towards him as Karkaroff and Madame Maxime do.

…........

Draco and Vis linger once everyone has been sent back to their houses by house heads. Wanting to draw attention away from what has happened. The two Slytherins manage to keep out of the way until they hear hurried footsteps, but familiar ones. Dani comes into view along the corridor followed by Harry who is trying to catch up with her. Neither seems all that happy about whatever went on.

“You knew this was going to happen!” Harry snaps at Dani who turns and raises an eyebrow at his outburst.

“Of course I did” She answers and steps closer. “I'm a _**seer**_ ” She reminds him.

“Why didn't you tell me?” Harry counters, Dani gives him a look back.

“Why didn't I tell you?” She argues. “You haven't been listening to me for three years, why would I suddenly believe that you would now?” She snaps back at him. “I told those that needed to know...those that would believe me.....ask them why they didn't warn you” She turns to walk away from him but Harry catches up to her and grabs her arm.

“Dani” He whispers. “Look...” He starts. “I'm sorry”

…......

Down the hall, Draco watches the two of them with Vis, neither seem all that happy that Harry's grabbed her. But it's Draco that goes to make a move. Vis stops Draco with a firm hand.

“You can't” Vis warns him. “If he sees you defending her, it'll make it worse...” Draco clenches his jaw but Vis is right. They've kept their _friendship_ quiet for a reason. Because of what people will think of both of them. He can shake it off, but Dani already has enough people that talk about her being her back. He doesn't want to bring more down on her. That's why they keep it to themselves.

…........

Dani shakes off Harry's hand and steps closer to him. How dare he. How dare he think that he can apologise and it just fixes everything. She's not going to let him do this. She is not going to let it happen.

“You can say sorry all you want,” She tells him. “But it's not going to change anything. I warned you about the three-headed dog, and the devil's snare, and the man with two faces, I warned you about the basilisk, and I warned you about the rat....not once did you find any validation in anything I told you.” Harry looks down. “I see things, and yes, sometimes they aren't always clear, but my dreams always come true” She shakes her head and steps back. “I'm your family” She reminds him. “You should have believed in that....you should have believed me. And maybe I would have warned you about this, about what else is coming.....” She leans closer. “Are you ready for this?” She asks him. “Are you ready for what is coming?” He looks at her. “I will be” She turns and walks away from him. Harry frowns slightly and then sighs.


	25. Chapter Twenty

It's a couple of days before Draco manages to find a free moment to seek out Dani, things have been busy with the Slytherins pawing at the Durmstrang and he is expected to be one of them, expected to lead the charge in a way. But he has seen her around. There is an added space between her and Harry now. Sitting as far as they can from one another. Given that he saw them arguing that's not surprising, what is surprising is that Dani has put herself away from Neville as well. She's sitting alone. A lot.

…......

In the Astronomy tower, Dani runs her fingers through her hair as ZuZu bounces around after the small ball rolling around the room. Dani presses her fingers into her head and slides down the wall into a crouch. That sound is back. That singing. And it's getting worse. Never leaving. Never giving her a moment's break. With everything else going on, she cannot deal with this too.

“Dani?” Draco asks as he moves towards her, can see how hard she is pressing into her own head. “Hey” He crouches and pulls her hands back. “What happened?” She shakes her head and looks away from him. She can't tell anyone. She's terrified that this is it. This is her descent into madness. And whilst it is better than her going dark, this isn't something she wants. Not now. Not this soon. She was hoping that it wouldn't kick in until much, much later in her life. Draco stands, but keeping his hold on her hand pulls her up with him. He embraces her tightly, letting her cry into his chest. He assumes this has to do with Potter and his litter friends. And no one gets to treat her like this. No one gets to make her feel like this. Not on his watch. “Which one was it this time?” He asks her, she shakes her head and brushes her hand over her cheek, removing her tears as she pulls back from him.

“No one” She whispers. He lifts her chin and she sighs. “It's not them...I'm used to that...” She shrugs and lets out a breath.

“So why are you crying?” He counters as he brushes his hand over her cheek.

“You'll think me mad” She argues, he brusher her hair over her shoulder.

“Maybe” He admits, she gives him a look. “Well, we're not going to know either way unless you tell me” he pokes her nose. She sighs and steps away from him.

“Ever since we came back this year” She starts as she moves to the railing of the tower. “There's been this noise in my head” he leans against the railing at her side. “And it's not my visions, it's something else...I can hear it all the time, but there are moments when it is so loud I can't think straight....”

“What does it sound like?” He asks, she frowns to herself and then turns to face him.

“You...You don't think I'm crazy?” He shrugs and gives her a look, she huffs slightly.

“You hear and see things that other people don't” He is quick to point out. “That doesn't mean you're crazy or mad....you're just...” He smiles softly at her and shrugs. “You” She lifts her eyes to look at him. “And it probably means something, right? You don't just hear and see things for the fun of it.” She hums a little and then nods. “Have you told Dumbledore?” He asks with a roll of his eyes, whilst he is not the headmaster's biggest fan, he knows he is the only one that might actually help Dani.

“Told me what?” They both spin to find Dumbledore behind them. Draco looks at Dani who keeps her head down.

“Ah, nothing” She whispers. Draco nudges her forward a little. She groans and gives him an annoyed look, he nods towards Dumbledore. She turns back to the headmaster. “I hear a singing” She admits. “I can hear it...all the time...”

“Ah, so it is finally calling to you” Dumbledore offers as he strokes under ZuZu's chin. Dani frowns a little.

“What is?” She asks him, Dumbledore looks at her.

“Fiery Promise” He answers and gives a wink before walking away. Dani lets out an annoyed breath.

“He's as cryptic as my dreams” She complains, Draco stands thoughtful behind her.

“Oh” He states with realisation, Dani turns to face him.

“What?” He shrugs a little.

“When I was little” He starts. “My mother used to read me this book...” He holds out his hand towards her and she takes it. He pulls her along and out of the tower.

…......

Draco leads Dani through the library, it's late and about to close for the night, but he knows exactly where he is going and exactly what he is looking for. He makes his way to the children's section, it's not very often that people after their first year come to the aisle, these stories are for those that are still breaking from the chains of their childhood.

“I saw it here a few weeks ago, it reminded me of those stories” He reaches up and pulls a book from the shelf, he touches the cover and then turns to Dani. He hands it to her, Dani peers down at the cover.

“The Tales of Beedle the Bard?” She asks him, he nods.

“The last story,” He tells her, she flicks open the books and goes right to the last chapter.

“Lady Death?” She reads, he nods again.

“Read it,” He tells her, kisses her cheek and then walks away. Dani frowns and turns to watch him go. She then turns back to the book and sighs a little.

….........

Dani sits curled up in her armchair in the common room, the children's book open in her lap as she reads the story of the first shadow-kissed, she's never heard of this story before, she assumed if her father knew then he would tell her about it, but he didn't and if Draco is aware of the stories then Apollo must too.

“It's a wand” She sets the book in front of ZuZu who glares at the book, knowing that this is why Dani has been ignoring him all night. He sits on the book and looks rather proud of himself for doing so, as if that is going to stop her. “It's here...in the castle...and It's...” She stops when she hears footsteps getting closer to the common room, her eyes flicker to the stairs when Harry appears. The two of them kind of staring at one another.

“Dani” He starts, she picks up ZuZu and her book.

“Whatever you have to say, Harry, I don't want to hear it” She counters and lets out a breath before she heads towards the girls' staircase.

“You were right” He admits, which stops her, she closes her eyes and turns to him. “Everything we've been through, all of it, you were there...warning us, not always clearly but...” He shrugs a little. “....and I never listened. I am sorry” He steps closer to her. “You are my cousin, my family....and I miss you” She sighs a little and moves to him. “I'm sorry” He repeats, she nods a little before she hugs him, his arms wrapping around her too.

“I'm sorry too” She whispers. “I shouldn't have snapped at you”

“You should have” He stops and pulls back. “Dani, what you are....you are so powerful, you need to start showing people just how powerful, so they don't just brush you aside like I did....” She smiles a little and nods. “And I am going to start listening, I promise...”

“Okay,” She whispers and looks at ZuZu on her shoulder.

“And you are probably the only one who believes that I didn't put my name in the goblet”

“It's not about belief, I know you didn't, that's not the same thing” She argues a little. “But I probably would have believed you anyway...” She adds and shrugs. He smiles at her and nods.

“What are you reading?” He asks and motions to her book.

“Oh...it's just a children's book” She offers. “I was kind of feeling a little...” She looks down. “I was thinking of my mother” She lies, she knows she can't say anything about Draco, not to Harry. “She used to read me the stories from this book”


	26. Chapter Twenty-One

Dani is in a very good mood. A very, very good mood. For the first time in what feels like a long time, she is in an honest to whatever deity good mood. She got a letter from Charlie Weasley the day before informing her that he will be arriving at Hogwarts, with dragons, and was wondering if she wanted to see them. She knows he's asking to be polite, and that he actually knows she would have likely sniffed them out by herself. She would have found out anyway. And yes, she would be happy about the dragons, but she is extra happy because Drogon is one of them. Accompanying his mate, Yze. Dani assumes this is why she was dreaming of Harry, Cedric and dragons. That they are to be part of the tournament. And this might actually be one of the tasks, but right now, she honestly doesn't care. Dragons! That's all she can think about. Drogon is going to be here, with other dragons. Dragons. She should probably be worried about how obsessed she is with dragons. Ron sits across from Dani at the table for breakfast. She seems brighter. Happier. ZuZu bounces around the table, feeding off of Dani's excitement. Ron smirks a little and watches her as she smiles away to herself as she eats her breakfast.

“You're in a good mood” He comments, she turns to him and nods.

“Dragons,” She tells him. “Dragons, Ron” He smiles and shakes his head. “Dragons!” She adds louder, almost growling it in her excitement, Ron laughs and smiles, because it's infectious. Her excitement. Everyone. Literally, _**everyone**_ knows that Dani and dragons are a package deal, but to be honest, he's never seen her so excited before. She's actually vibrating with it.

“Who slipped you a euphoria elixir?” He teases. “Wait, did someone slip you one?” She shakes her head.

“No” She answers. “I'm just happy....is that so weird?”

“No” He assures her. “Just....” He stops and shrugs. “Never really seen you happy before” He frowns at that statement,

“Not really had much reason to be” She reminds him, he nods a little. “But today is a good day” She looks at ZuZu and smiles. Today is a very good day. She picks up an apple from the table and smiles as she bites into it.

“Oh,” Ron realises and looks at her. “Charlie wrote to you” Dani chuckles and nods. “Now I get why you're so happy....dragons”

“Dragons” She agrees. They share an amused look and he nods.

….............

Draco frowns a little as he is yanked into an alcove and pushes against the wall, but softens and smiles seeing Dani's purple eyes gleaming up at him. This isn't exactly a hidden place. They can both hear students mere feet away from them. Heading to and from lessons. They've not been this bold before. She smirks and pulls him closer, pushes herself up onto her tiptoes to kiss him. He closes his eyes, hands moving to her waist as he kisses her back. There is something different about her, she's more sure of herself, firmer, touchy. He's not complaining, it's nice, but...it's still different. He pulls back and frowns down at her, licking his lips slightly.

“What's going on?” He asks her.

“Dragons” She whispers. He gives her a look and she just smirks wider at him. Draco doesn't know or, to be honest, care, why she is being all affectionate and......touchy. She yanks him closer and he raises an eyebrow but goes with it. She's really happy and he's not going to take that away from her. His hands find her cheeks and he smiles back at her. Infectious. He leans closer and kisses her, her arms wrapping around his neck. “Meet me later?” She asks of him, whispers against his lips. “After dark”

“Break curfew? That's now very. _..you”_ He asks her with a teasing smirk.

“Special permission” She answers. “I want to show you something” He nods and brushes his thumb over her cheek.

“Yeah, okay” He agrees.

“Wear something warm” She adds, gives him a quick kiss and then slips out of the alcove and walks away. Draco closes his eyes and rests his head back against the wall.

….......

Dani wraps her arms around herself as she waits for Draco. The castle eerily quiet and dark around her. It's rather creepy actually. The only noise she can hear is coming from ZuZu who is tucked into her coat. Draco places his hands over her eyes and smiles as he presses his chest to her back.

“You shouldn't be walking around the castle alone” He whispers in her ear and then kisses her cheek, pulling his hands back so she can turn to face him. She does not look at all surprised that he did that. She raises an amused eyebrow at him. “So what did you want to show me?” He asks as he threads his fingers with hers at her side.

….......

Harry trails after Hagrid through the Forbidden Forest, footsteps uneven and unsure in the dark. Harry glances around queasily. Unsure as to why Hagrid has brought him out here.

“Where exactly is it you're taking me, Hagrid?” Harry asks.

“Wouldn't be right if I told you that, now would it, Harry. Might find you sneaking out here on your own one night”

“Oh, yeah” Harry offers. “That could happen...” Just then, up ahead, men's shouts can be heard through the trees, followed by an ear-splitting roar. Hagrid glances back, grinning, then gestures Harry forward. Just ahead of them, they find a clearing where gangs of wizards surround five giant slatted cages. Inside all but one cage, something huge rages violently. Harry squints. “Hagrid...are those what I think....” Hagrid nods excitedly. “But what are they doing here?” Harry then blinks slightly, his mind catching up. “Hagrid, those aren't...I mean, one of those isn't for....me?” Hagrid grins like a kid at Christmas. Harry points towards the cages. “That's the first task? Dragon?!”

“Thrilling, isn't it? Don't envy the champion who draws the Horntail though. Back end's more dangerous than the front” As if on cue, the Horntail blasts a rope of fire straight across the clearing, directly at Harry and Hagrid. As they bail to opposite sides, the regal pine between them turns to ash. “Of course, the front end's nothing to sneeze at” Hagrid adds. Harry sits up and peers back into the clearing. There is a flash of white hair and Harry frowns slightly.

“Wait...” He whispers. “Is that Dani...?” Hagrid chuckles.

“Where there be dragons....there be Daenerys” Hagrid points out.

“And Malfoy?” Harry adds seeing Draco trailing along behind her. “What is she doing with him?”


	27. Chapter Twenty-Two

Charlie approaches Dani who smiles up at him, she is beyond excited now. There are dragons. Right here. Right in front of her. She might be sick with how worked up she is. She might actually pass out. She takes a deep breath.

“I was beginning to worry you'd miss them” Charlie comments and glances at Draco before turning his attention back to Dani. “Think you can do anything about this noise?” Charlie asks with a warm smile. She nods and moves closer to the cages.

“Zaldrizes” She states, firmly to get their attention. “Gīda sir” She offers softer. And almost instantly the dragons all calm in their cages. Charlie smiles and shakes his head, impressed. Every time he sees her interacting with the dragons he is impressed. Charlie then places his fingers in his mouth and whistles.

“Finnish Swiftback, open it up” Charlie orders of the wizards around him. A few wizards undo the locks on the cage before pulling open the door. Drogon steps out of the cage, head held up high as he looks around. The cage closest to his shifts slightly. Yze must be in that one. Drogon turns his head again, and then his eyes land on Dani who waves at him. Drogon softens and relaxes before moving closer to her. ZuZu is then charging him, intending on protecting Dani from the much, much, much larger dragon. He has no fear. And no brains. Obviously. ZuZu lets out a tiny pathetic roar at Drogon but he's just a baby and is not at all, in any way, intimidating. Drogon stares down at the baby with amusement. And then lets loose his own roar which sends ZuZu scurrying behind Dani and Draco. Dani smiles softly at Drogon whilst Draco snorts at ZuZu.

“Really?” Draco asks and then looks at Drogon who moves closer to him. Eyes judging him. Draco tries to stay brave. To look brave. Draco knows that Drogon is a dragon, that is clear, but being around him when he was tiny means Draco saw him differently. He saw him as small and tiny and weak. Drogon is not any of those things. He is now a huge ass dragon with eggs. He's a father. He is fierce and protective. And Dani talked him through this. He knows what to do. Draco pulls off his glove and raises his hand slowly, he is not going to ignore the rules when it comes to magical creatures again, not after the hippogriff. Drogon lowers his head and sniffs at Draco's hand before leaning into his hand, Draco's hand is tiny against Drogon's face but he knows the sentiment behind this. Drogon trusts him. Draco doesn't think or believe he deserves that. Draco swallows and pulls his hand back before he frowns.

“Dani?” Draco asks as he looks around for her. “Dani?”

“Up here” She answers, Draco frowns and then looks up at Drogon's back where Dani is now straddling the beast, she smirks at him.

“What are you doing up there?” Draco asks, panic in his voice, his eyes now flickering to Drogon's face to judge his reaction to this. Dani holds down her hand for Draco who has yet removed his eyes from Drogon's huge face.

“Draco” She offers with a smirk. He moves closer to the side of the dragon and reaches up to take Dani's hand, Drogon swivels his head around and pushes at Draco who lets out a small squeal of surprise, but Drogon is attempting to help. Dani pulls and Drogon pushes, and together they get Draco up onto Drogon's back. He sits behind Dani, his arms wrapping around her waist. “Sōvētēs,” She tells Drogon who roars and then pushes himself up and into the air. Draco's arms tighten around Dani as he peers over the edge as Drogon rises higher through the trees.

…..........

Draco has to admit that there is something about riding a dragon. A freedom. A sense of peace. And this is actually the most alone he and Dani have been. Yes, Drogon is here too, but....no one that can see them. It's just them.

“This is amazing” Draco whispers as he looks around. There is nothing but the sky and clouds. Nothing but the stars and the moon to light the way. Dani turns, carefully, so she faces Draco. “You could have brought anyone out tonight,” He tells her, she nods in agreement. “Why me?”

“Draco” She starts.

“No, no, not even this...not just this....” He gives her a look. “Why me?” He repeats and she knows he is not asking about why she chose to bring him out to see the dragons, he's asking why she seems to have chosen him to...have affection for.

“You've never doubted me” She answers. “Never looked down on me for being...Shadow-Kissed. You do have depth and kindness, despite how much you don't show it, and....intelligence....you're cunning and resourceful and loyal....and when you look at me....you look at me like there is something in me worth looking at”

“Like there is something worth looking at” He repeats sadly, a frown on his face.

“All everyone else sees is the Shadow-Kissed part of me” She reminds him. “That's all I am....it's all I'll ever be, but you” She looks at him. “You don't see that, do you?” He shakes his head.

“No” He assures her. “No, I just see you” She smiles at him.

“That's why you,” She tells him as she pulls him closer to her. “Because you see me...You see me when no one else does” He smiles softly and then brushes his lips over hers. His hand coming up to thread through her hair. He then almost falls off of the dragon, Dani chuckles and grabs his arm, holding him still. He pulls back from Dani and then lets out a breath.

“That was a bad idea” He grumbles and then looks at her. His features softening seeing her smiling at him. 


	28. Chapter Twenty-Three

Harry is still lingering close to the clearing with the dragons. Waiting to see if Draco and Dani return, he knows they will eventually. He doesn't understand why they were out here together, Dani makes sense. There are dragons, Dani loves dragons. But Draco. That one doesn't make any sense. He looks up as Drogon flies over his head before landing in the clearing. Dani and Draco then climbing down from his back. Harry shifts closer but still remains hidden. Dani presses her forehead to Drogon's face and closes her eyes as she says goodbye. Drogon then pulls back and nods to Draco who actually smiles back at the dragon. Charlie and the other wizards are then helping Drogon back into his cage. Harry glares as he watches Draco sling his arm over Dani's shoulders and pulls her closer to whisper to her, sending her into laughter as they walk away from the clearing. They're close. Even Harry is smart enough to work that out. He just didn't think they were chummy like that. Harry's eyes then widen as Draco kisses Dani, just...kisses her. But she's not pushing him away. She's actually kissing him back, fingers curling into his coat. She's with him. Together. Romantically.

….........

Harry steps from the stairs from his dormitory to the common room with a sigh. He's barely slept. Between the revelation of the dragons and...Dani. He couldn't turn his brain off long enough to sleep. He stops when he sees Dani, pulling on her sweater and Harry debates himself on talking to her about what he saw. Part of him knows he should leave it be, that it's her business and not his. But it's Draco. And he's scared for her now. Draco could be after something. After her visions. After using her. She smiles at Harry as she flicks her hair out of the back of her robes.

“Hey” She greets. “Everything okay?” He hums and nods. She's been different recently. Happier. Fiercer. Maybe that's because of Draco. “Are you sure?” She teases a little. He lets out a breath and nods again. She searches his face and eyes, checking on him before she grabs her books and begins to leave. She's already running late, having overslept because of how late she got back the night before.

“I saw you” Harry stops her. “Last night with the dragons” Dani closes her eyes and sighs before she opens them, turns to face Harry. “Are you and Malfoy together?”

“Well...that's complicated” She answers. “And, frankly, none of your business”

“He's got to be using you, Dani” Harry offers, she scoffs and rolls her eyes.

“Right, because anyone that likes me must have an ulteriormotive? Has to be after something?” She asks him. “He can't just...like me?”

“I'm not...” Harry stops and then looks at her. “If it was anyone other than him, I would be happy for you, of course, I would be....but it's Malfoy. He's a bully and cruel....”

“You don't see what I see in him” She argues.

“Then why keep it a secret?” He asks her. “Unless he **is** after something, and only getting close to you because...”

“I wanted to keep it a secret” She stops him. “Not him...because I knew this would happen” She motions to Harry. “Because I knew people would think badly of him....he's not a bad person”

“Of course he'd want you to think that” He counters. “Dani, death eaters tried to kidnap you, Malfoy's father was a death eater.....” He reminds her.

“You know what” She snaps and then takes a steadying breath, calming herself down, because she is not going to get upset over this, she knows how she feels, she knows Draco, and she is not going to let anyone force her to think differently. “Your opinion doesn't matter to me, Harry. I like him. He likes me. He actually makes me happy.....And that's all that matters. If you don't like it, tough...I don't care if you don't like it....” She turns and walks away from him. Harry lets out a breath and shakes his head.

…........

Harry walks alone, angry, passing students that sport badges that read 'Potter Stinks', which just angers him more. Then he spies Cedric Diggory talking with a group of hufflepuffs. He slows. Debating, her heads over to him. The lapels of Cedric's friends glimmer with the badges. As Harry approaches them, one of the badges changes to reveal the punch line; 'Support Cedric Diggory, the true Hogwarts Champion'. Noticing Harry, one of the boys nods to Cedric, he turns, eyes Harry coolly.

“Potter” Cedric greets.

“Can I have a word?” Harry asks.

“Alright” Cedric and Harry step away from the group of hufflepuffs.

“Dragons,” Harry tells him. “That's the first task. They've got one for each of us” Cedric is still cautious but then seems to realise Harry is telling the truth.

“You're....serious” Harry nods. “And Fleur and Krum? Do they...” Harry nods again. As Cedric rubs his chin nervously, pondering this, Harry looks away and sees Ron coming down the corridor with Seamus. “Why're you telling me?”

“Wouldn't be right if I didn't, would it?” Harry answers. “What would that make me?”

“Right” Cedric whispers with a small nod. “By the way, about those badges, I've asked them not to wear them, but, well...” Harry then starts to walk away.

“Forget it” He offers and then bares straight to Ron and Seamus. “You're a right foul git, you know that,” Harry tells Ron, who glances about, uncomfortably aware of onlookers, then steels himself.

“You think so, do you?”

“I know so” Harry counters.

“Anything else?”

“Yeah. Stay away from me”

“Fine” Ron then walks away. Harry turns, finds Draco staring with amusement, Vis, Crabbe and Goyle with him.

“Why so tense, Potter?” Draco asks. Harry eyes him, then simply turns, begins to walk away. “My father and I have a bet, Potter. You see, he thinks you won't last ten minutes in the tournament, but I disagree, I say you won't last five”

“You know what I say, Malfoy?” Harry counters as he stops walking. “I say...” He turns back to Draco. “You should be more careful about where you and Dani sneak around” Draco's face falls slightly.

“Oh, no” Vis whispers, his eyes flickering to Draco's face.

“What do you say to that?” Harry asks, but Draco stands stiffly, mute. “That's what I thought,” Harry adds. “Stay away from her....she doesn't need **your** sort sniffing around her....” As Harry turns away, Draco fumes, jaw clenched in anger, he then pulls out his wand and aims at the back of Harry's head. No one gets to say anything about him and Dani. No one gets to judge her. Or him for liking one another. What they have is good and no one is going to make them feel bad for that. No one is going to make it out to be bad. Fair enough when it is her brothers, they are just being protective, but Harry is nothing to her.

“Oh no you don't” Moody states from the stairwell behind Draco. Bang. Harry spins and stares at the now empty space between Crabbe and Goyle. Harry's eyes shift to the ground where there is now a white ferret doing crazy-eights in the spot where Draco had been stood. “I'll teach you to curse someone when their back's turned” Moody scolds as he sends the ferret flying up into the air over and over. “Stinking....cowardly....scummy....”

“Professor Moody” McGonagall's voice rings out as she steps through the crowd, Dani pushing through behind her. “What are you doing?”

“Teaching” Moody answers.

“Teaching?” McGonagall repeats. “ _Is that a student_?”

“Technically, it's a ferret” Moody answers. McGonagall draws her wand and with a wave of it, Draco is transformed back, sprawled on the floor, face pink, gasping for breath.

“We never use transfiguration as a punishment, Alastor. Surely Dumbledore told you?” McGonagall scolds.

“Might've mentioned it” Moody mumbles.

“My father will head about this” Draco angrily Moody. Moody turns on him.

“Is that a threat? I know things about your father that would curl even your greasy hair...” He stops when Dani slides into place between him and Draco, a fierce and determined expression on her face.

“Back off,” She tells him. He laughs a little, unphased by her. “ _Moody_ ” She adds and he snaps his gaze to her, he heard the tone. She raises an eyebrow back at him, daring him to push her on this. She wants him to, just so she can just let it out. He backs up and shakes his head before walking away. Dani lets out a breath and then looks at Harry. “What did you do?” Dani snaps at Harry as she moves closer to him.

“Why are you assuming I've done anything?” Harry defends. Dani scoffs and shakes her head.

“Because everything is always _**your**_ fault,” She tells him as she clutches to her books against her chest. “Bad things happen around you....people get hurt....” She lets out a breath. “You're going to get someone killed...I've seen it....a student **will** die before **this** school year is over.....” She takes a few steps from him. “Mark my words, Potter” There are whispers around them, other students hearing just what she has said. Draco touches her arm, pulling her away from Harry.

“Come here,” He tells her and shoots Harry a glare. He turns his attention back to Dani. “Come on” She turns to him. He gives her a look. “What was that for?” He asks her. “Getting in the middle....” He scolds. She tries to pull away but he stops her. He knows why she is trying to pull away. She is worried about people seeing. But he doesn't care any more. If Harry knows it will soon do the rounds through the rest of the student body. He keeps hold of her hand as he leads her back over to where his _friends_ are stood, Vis smirks a little, he knows, but Crabbe and Goyle, they're confused. Harry shakes his head behind them and then walks away.

“So...” Vis starts and gives Draco a look. Draco shrugs but is smiling.

“Dani's my girlfriend” Draco admits. “And the first one that says anything about it gets hexed into next week” He pulls Dani closer and she glances up at him, surprised. He winks down at her and smiles. Vis holds out a Potter stinks badge to Dani who smirks and takes it from him, she attaches it to her sweater and shares a look with her twin brother, he nods and smiles at her.


	29. Chapter Twenty-Four

Dani sits against a wall in some hallway, her eyes tracking Draco as he paces. He's worried about the way he reacted to Harry. Worried about her reaction. Worried he's crossed a line he can't uncross. He knows how he feels for her. He has known for a while, but....publically admitting he is in a relationship with Dani is another thing. She wanted to keep them a secret for a reason. She was protecting him. Protecting him from their opinions. He utterly destroyed that.

“I know I kind of....” He starts and paces a little before he turns to face Dani who sits against the wall. “Blurted it out without asking you.....” She hums in agreement as she watches him. “And well...Are you mad?” She chuckles and shakes her head.

“Oh, Draco” She teases, he blushes and looks down. “I know it was never your idea to keep it...secret” She shifts slightly. “And you know why I wanted to” He nods. “You basically just told the whole school you are in a relationship with the resident headcase” He scoffs and rolls his eyes.

“You are not a headcase” He scolds her.

“Well, then the resident seer” She counters, he hums a little. That is more true than her being a headcase. She is not crazy. She is gifted. There is a difference. He knows how special she is. He knows how talented and powerful and unique she is. But she is his friend first. He is the girl that he has come to care a great deal about. The girl that he actually knows he might just be in love with.

“I just...if your friends thing..” He starts.

“Stop” She scolds him. “If they can't accept that this is what I want, that you are what has been making me happy....then they are not my friends” He moves to sit with her. “Vis is your friend, and he has except us” He nods in agreement and then looks at her.

“I was expecting more resistance from him.” He admits. “He is your brother.....your twin” She hums and nods.

“For all Vis' faults...” She starts. “He is far more observant and.....cunning than appearance grants”

“Well, he's in Slytherin for a reason, right?” he asks her, she nods.

“Vis isn't a bad person, he's just....” She turns to him. “He sees things differently, he sees things in ways that he can use them....whether a plant or a person or a book.....it's all about what it can do for him....and what he can do with it” She reaches up and brushes back his hair from his face. “You are the most popular Slytherin boy, with an influential father. But, I mean......I actually think he likes you”

“Well, I like him too” Draco admits. “He far more interesting and...has far more potential as actual friend material compared to those other two” He grumbles and shrugs a little. “I think we're similar” He admits as he brushes his fingers through her hair. “I have alchemy and potions....he likes herbology and potions....we overlap....” She hums in agreement. “He's...not terrible” He admits as he plays with her hand.

“Ooo gleaming review, Malfoy” She teases, he smiles and then nods. He lits his eyes to look at her.

“You really aren't mad?” He asks her, she shakes her head.

“I knew, the second Harry told me he saw us...I knew this could go two ways” She whispers and swallows. “He would be proven right.....you were using me and...with public admission would....abandon what we had” Draco looks at her sadly. “Or...you would show who you really are...you would show the person I knew was in there.....and accept that we have something...admit that we....you know”

“We do” He assures her and then realises. “I proved you right” She nods in agreement.

“I knew you had it in you, Draco” She agrees, he smiles and pulls her hand to his face, setting it against his cheek so he can lean into it. “You are not a bad person, you are not a person that has been moulded by prejudice as everyone believes, and you **do** have a mind of your own, a very bright and very...adaptive, cunning, intelligent and resourceful mind” He smiles a little. “And I am very proud of you” He looks to her, surprised, no one has ever really been proud of him before. All the pressure placed on his shoulders by his father, yet he has never shown pride towards his son. They share a look and she nods. He leans closer and kisses her. Pushing all of his gratefulness and affection through that kiss, he wants her to know just what she means to him. Before he closes his eyes and pulls back.

“What was that thing with Moody?” He asks her, she shrugs a little.

“When I saw him coming for you” She whispers. “I just....snapped” He smirks at her. “Dumbledore knows how I feel about Moody. What I have seen....” She looks at Draco who brushes his fingers over her cheek. “I assume there is a plan in place....that that is why he is still here” She closes her eyes and leans into his touch.

“What have you seen?” He asks, she shakes her head. “Come on, you have to tell me” He teases and pokes her nose.

“Draco” She scolds and swats at his hand. “I can't just tell you everything” He pouts but does understand. She is limited by what she sees, and admitting everything will change certain things. If she tells him that he goes left, he might go right, and change everything. He is smart enough to understand that. He is not stupid. He is actually very intelligent. Only just behind Hermione in his grades. He is right up there with Dani. Which people also forget. Dani is very, very intelligent. She gets almost perfect grades in everything, except divination, in which she does actually get perfect grades. She is his intellectual equal on every level. People forget just how smart they are. “I want to” She admits. “But I can't...” She whispers. “We both know that it would change everything, cause and effect....” He nods in agreement. “And then I would be absolutely useless” He snorts a little.

“I know” He assures her and then notes her expression. “I know” He adds firmer. “You don't have to tell me everything...” He promises her. “Just promise me that you are safe....you are going to be safe” She nods.

“I will be fine” She assures him. “This doesn't directly affect me” He relaxes and nods. Has actually been worried about it since he noticed that thing with Moody. He sees more than people think he does.

…....

Hermione listens to Harry complaining about Dani and Draco's apparent relationship. Harry might be surprised about it, but Hermione is not. She's spied them on a few occasions, curled up, wrapped up in the corner of the library together. She's never said anything. Because she has seen the difference in Dani, and Draco. Dani is happier. Draco is less cruel. Those are both good things. Harry frowns a little at Hermione's less than surprised expression.

“You knew?” He accuses.

“I caught them in here a few weeks ago” She admits as she summons another book from the library shelf. “Huddled together in the divination aisle”

“And you never said anything?” Harry argues. “How can you just...be okay with it? It's Malfoy and..........Dani”

“She's our friend and he makes her happy, that's how I am okay with it” Hermione scolds him. “It doesn't matter how I feel about him, it's how she feels that matters....and as her friends, we accept that, regardless....” Harry looks away from her. “And come on, this year, he's not been as bad...” Harry snorts a little. “Compared to last year....” She offers. “He's happy, so he's less mean....leave them alone” Hermione warns him. “If he hurts her, then we will be there to cheer her up and make it better....that's what friends do. But....as she is our friend and he seems to really care about her, that's all I care about...” She offers and turns to him. “Harry, I hate him as much as you do, but this is Dani, and I've seen them around one another. I've seen them together. And he deeply cares about her. He looks at her and...nothing else matters. I honestly think he's in love with her.....” Hermione smiles at him. “She's our friend....stop trying to ruin this for her” Harry sigh a little and closes his eyes.


	30. Chapter Twenty-Five

Draco knows he has to tell his parents now. Now that the whole school knows it will only be a matter of time before word gets back to them. But he also knows that the best way forward was to tell his mother first. His father second. Later. After he had spoken with his mother. She is smarter than his father, he is not afraid to say so because he knows that it is true. His mother is a fiercely intelligent and protective woman. Especially with him. So he wrote, in length to his mother, about how he felt about Dani. Asking her what he should do about telling his father. Part of him knows that he shouldn't tell him. He knows what happened at the world cup. He knows his father was part of that. Draco sits with Vis, Crabbe and Goyle in the great hall for breakfast, the house tables dotted with collections of students. Hermione and Neville sit together at the Gryffindor table. Hermione glances across at Draco who raises an eyebrow at her, she glares at him but then smirks and shrugs, turning back to Neville. Draco snorts and turns to Vis who is reading from some herbology book. Always got his nose in some plant book. Draco's owl drops an envelope in front of him and then flies off again. Draco watches it go before he turns to the envelope. Opening it, he pulls out the parchment from inside. His mother's reply.

........

_Draco, I am happy for you, truly, that you have someone that you feel so deeply connected to. But be wary of what you tell your father about the shadow-kissed girl. You know how he will see this. Keep her close. Keep her safe. Protect her. If you truly care for her, keep her away from your father. Your mother, x_

.........

Draco traces the words on the parchment. He knew his mother would know what was best. And part of him knew that keeping her away from his father was best. That keeping the shadow-kissed away from the death eaters is the best idea. That's why he saved her. He doesn't want the dark forces to have her. He wants to keep her from that life. He might not get a choice in that though, if word from someone else makes it to his father. He just has to figure it out, if it happens. He folds up the parchment and sets it into the pocket of his robes just as Dani walks into the great hall. He instantly smiles.

"Dani!" He shouts, she stops and frowns a little at him, he nods for her to sit with him at the Slytherin table. She glances to Neville and Hermione at the Gryffindor table before looking back at Draco. Hermione jumps up from the table and moves to Dani, whispers to her, Dani smiles a little listening before she looks at her friend surprised. Hermione nods and then goes back to the Gryffindor table. Dani then heads across to the Slytherin table. Draco glares at Goyle who then pushes himself down the bench to make room for Dani to sit next to Draco. Dani lets out a breath as she sits with them.

"This is new" She comments and does note a few of the Slytherins further down the table watching with confusion, and some with glares. No one has ever switched tables before. Draco shrugs and picks up an apple from the table.

"You look tired" Vis comments. Dani gives him a look.

"Thanks, Vis" She counters, he smirks and shrugs unapologetically.

"Did you have _dreams?_ " Vis asks her.

"I always have _dreams_ " She reminds him. "At least here anyway"

"Yeah, it's not so bad in the summer" Vis agrees, she nods.

"No Potter" Draco mumbles, Dani looks at him and smirks.

"Yeah" She agrees. Because she knows it's true. Being away from Harry gives her a break from her visions and her dreams because for some reason only bad things happen when Harry is at Hogwarts. "That is exactly why I don't have tons _dreams_ , because Harry's not around" Draco sets his hand on the small of her back and smirks a little. He pulls his hand back and taps the fruit bowl on the table, giving Dani a look.

"Eat something," He tells her, she raises an eyebrow at him. "We have class in ten minutes and you haven't eaten anything yet" She hums in agreement and takes a red apple from the bowl. Vis smirks at Draco who clears his throat and looks away. Caught out being thoughtful.

…...

Harry walks into the great hall not long after Vis leaves. His eyes instantly moving to the Slytherin table where he spots Dani and Draco together. He supposes that now everyone knows there is no need for the two of them to go sneaking around at the back of the library. Draco's fingers toy with hers, the two of them leant close to one another as he whispers to her with a smirk, she smiles. Harry kind of has to admit that Dani does appear to be happy, even if it is with Draco. And she's not really had much reason to be happy in recent years. Draco lifts his eyes from his and Dani's joint hands and looks at Harry. Draco raises an eyebrow, daring Harry to do something else. But to be fair, Harry actually did them a favour in calling them out. It was the push Draco needed to just accept and admit that Dani is his girlfriend. Even though they haven't really talked about what that means for them. They've been doing girlfriend/boyfriend things all year just without the title. And now everyone knows. And nothing bad has happened. Yet anyway. He still has that fear that something will happen when his father finds out about this. About her. Draco turns his attention back to Dani as she talks to him.


	31. Chapter Twenty-Six

Newly erected stands have been placed in the Forbidden Forest for the first Triwizard task. And these stands are absolutely jammed with students from all three schools. Draco and Vis have joined the Gryffindor group of students, surprising a lot of them, but they are not the only ones. It appears as though some other Slytherins have also wandered over and stood with them, possibly having seen Draco and Vis lingering with the crowd. Dani stands in front of Draco, leaning on a railing to peer down at the clearing below where the task is to take place, her fingers are curled with Draco's who stands talking with Vis at his side. On Vis' other side is Neville and Ron, Ron is a lot more cautious about the two Slytherin boys but given how cramped the stands are getting he knows that some mixing is going to take place. Dani shivers slightly, and she thinks it is nerves because Yze is to be involved in the task. Charlie has assured her that Drogon is only here for emotional support of his mate, it was the only way they could get Yze to get into her cage without too much effort. Drogon even managed to calm the others down. Or the shiver might be because it is it's November in Scotland and it is actually cold. She lets out a breath and turns to face Draco.

“Keep me warm,” She tells Draco who hums and pulls her closer, kissing her. Slytherins and Gryffindors watch them with varying expression of disgust and confusion. There is a Slytherin and a Gryffindor making out. It really is getting around the whole school now. It's clear which are the purebloods though, in the way they are watching the two of them. Draco's hands on her face, warming away the cold snap in her cheeks. He's smiling against her lips. Vis, Neville, and Ron glance across at the two of them, Ron pulling a surprised face.

“When did that happen?” He asks, Vis rolls his eyes slightly.

“I think they're cute” Neville offers, nervously glancing at Vis who hasn't ever stood with them before. Though he and Neville have spoken in the library when they have both been doing their herbology homework, it's never been socially like this. And Neville doesn't know how Vis feels about his twin sister being in a relationship with his friend. Dani pulls back from Draco and licks her lips with a small giggle.

“I kind of meant....give me our scarf but...” She clears her throat and smiles. “That works too” She assures him, he smirks and kisses her head before pulling her closer to his chest, pulling his jacket around her to tuck her in. She hums and burrows slightly into him. He rests his chin on her head, arms around her. She closes her eyes and breaths in. He smells like parchment and mandrake roots, something that he's picked up through that day's classes but under that....he definitely sprays himself with something, she doesn't know what it is, but it's got a sharp citrus hint, like grapefruit or mandarins or something, a bit of spice....maybe ginger, and something that reminds her of a crackling fireplace, that burnt wood smell, sort of the like the smell she gets from the dragons. She likes it. Finds it rather comforting and warming. Because it's distinctly him. Hermione joins them just before the first task is set to begin, she waves at Dani who waves back. It's not long before there is a roar from beyond the clearing and wizards are leading a dragon into the clearing ready for the first contestant. “Swedish Short-Snout” Dani whispers as the dragon is lead into the arena.

“I feel like this might be Dani's idea of the perfect wet dream” Ron mumbles with a smirk as he watches Dani who is practically drooling. Draco snaps his eyes to Ron. “What?” Ron snaps back at him. “Tell me I'm wrong, Malfoy” Draco clenches his jaw and then snorts. Because he can't. And they all know it. Dani smirks a little. Not long after the dragon has been lead in, Cedric Diggory appears at the corner of the arena. Draco wraps his arm around Dani's shoulders, she leans into his side as the task gets underway. He does well. Cedric. He transfigures a rock into a dog to distract the dragon, but it does eventually figure it out and turns on Cedric. But he catches the egg, just in time to get hit in the face with a fireball.

…...........

Common Welsh for Fleur. Chinese Fireball for Krum. All of which got their eggs with minimum injury. Which leaves Yze, the Hungarian Horntail for Harry to face. Dani worries her lip as the bring Yze into the arena.

“Yze” Dani whispers clutching to the railing.

“That's Drogon's...?” Neville starts, Dani nods.

“Yeah” She answers. “Yeah” A loud distressed roar echoes from outside of the arena. Drogon. She leans up and closes her eyes. She then turns to Draco, who seems to just know. He gives her a small smile, fingers threading with hers. “I have to go sit with him,” She tells Draco who nods and squeezes her hand before she is leaving the stands. Draco's eyes following her as she disappears. When he turns back, he finds that Neville, Hermione, Ron, and Vis are all watching him, smirking or smiling. He folds his arms over his chest.

“What?” He asks them, Ron smirks wider at him, Draco glares back with a huff.

…......

Dani weaves through the wizards that are gathered to look after the dragons. She can hear Drogon ahead along with shouts from wizards. One of them spots her, then moves to stop her.

“You can't go back there” A wizard stops her, she glares at the arm held in front of her like a barrier.

“Yes, she can” Charlie corrects when he sees them. “Let her through....” Dani gives the wizard a smug look and then runs towards Charlie. “I knew he'd be upset but...” He shrugs as he informs her. He then shakes his head leading her towards Drogon. The dragon swivels his head around, eyes landing straight on Dani. He moves towards her and she reaches up, touching his face to calm him down. He lays down, settling where he is. She can't watch Harry face Yze from here, but she can hear them, which means that so can Drogon. Listening to his mate. Dani looks at Charlie who runs his fingers through his hair.

“Charlie” She starts. “Those eggs...not the golden ones but the other ones...” He sighs and nods.

“They needed the dragons to be really protective of that egg....so they also used their....real eggs” He explains. Dani looks at Drogon, and it makes so much more sense that he's distressed. Not just Yze, but his clutch is out there as well. She reaches up and scratches at his scales.


	32. Chapter Twenty-Seven

After Harry's time with Yze, he is taken to the medical tent where Pomfrey is already looking after Cedric, Hermione, Ron, Vis, and Draco head off to see him. Ron and Hermione a little surprised by the two tags along Slytherins, but for Dani, they'll tolerate the two of them. Draco and Vis hang back at the entrance of the medical tent, Hermione and Ron heading towards Harry.

“Harry, you were brilliant” Hermione tells him. “You were amazing. You really were” But Harry is too busy looking at Ron who looks back at him. Still with their small feud.

“Harry” Ron starts and then shrugs a little. “Whoever put your name in that Goblet...I...I reckon they're trying to do you in”

“Caught on have you?” Harry asks him. “Took you long enough....” Ron opens his mouth to apologise. “It's okay” Harry assures him.

“No” Ron argues. “I shouldn't've...”

“Forget it” Harry counters, the two of them share a look, Harry smiles and Ron nods. And just like that. Their fight forgotten. Harry then notices Draco and scoffs a little. “What?” Harry asks. “Got something smart to say?” Draco raises an eyebrow at him and then shrugs, folds his arms over his chest.

“Nah” Draco answers. “You did okay” Harry looks at him surprised, because that he is counting as a compliment from Draco, considering. “You know....for you, Potter” Harry glances at Hermione who gives him a look back. At least Draco seems to actually be trying, they know it's for Dani, but still trying. And for Draco, that's a big deal.

….......

Draco stands with Vis as they watch Harry's scores. Harry, Ron, and Hermione are close by watching too. The champions can get a maximum of ten points from each judge. Harry gets 8 from Maxime. Crouch gives him a 9. Dumbledore a 9. And Karkaroff a 4.

“You're tied in first place, Harry” Charlie states as he and Dani walk towards them. “You and Krum” He adds as they join them. Draco wraps an arm around Dani's shoulders and the group heads back towards the school together. “Listen, I've got to run, I've got to go and send mum an owl, I swore I'd tell her what happened – but that was unbelievable. Oh yeah,” He suddenly realises. “And they told me to tell you, you've got to hang around for a few more minutes....they want a word, back in the champions' tent” Harry nods and then he and Ron head back to the tent. Charlie turns to Dani and gives her a wide smile. “I'll try and see you again before we leave” Charlie offers Dani who nods. “But if I don't...I will look after them” He assures her and she nods.

“I know” She agrees. He has done great with Drogon and Yze so far, and there is nothing to say that he won't continue to do so.

“And I will write when the eggs finally hatch” He adds and pats her head, ruffling her hair. “And you better send me a copy of your Night Fury journal when he's grown...I'm excited to read what you find out about them....”

“You, my dad, and Newt” She adds with a smile. He chuckles and nods before walking away, jogging back up to the castle.

“Nigth Fury journal?” Draco asks her, she hums and nods.

“ZuZu, he's the first of his kind that has been seen for centuries” She informs Draco. “Even Newt has never seen one before. And they are so rare, so elusive and secretive that there is no information about them in any dragon book” She turns to Draco and smirks. “And I have one” She adds as she takes his hands in hers, he pulls her closer and leans down to kiss her. When she gets all excited about dragons, it's hard not to get just as excited. That smile on her face and that sparkle in her eyes. He releases her hands so he can lift them under her jaw, gloved fingers pressing into her skin. Her own fingers clutch to the sleeves of his jacket, her eyes closed. He nudges her nose and lets out a shaky breath against her lips.

….....

Draco drops into a Slytherin common room chair and leans back into it, his eyes on Vis who sits on the couch, spread out along it as he reads. Draco wants to talk to him about his birthday, well, Dani's birthday. This year is different. They are officially dating. And he doesn't know what to get her. He's gone through various ideas, including more jewellery but...the more he's gotten to know her, over summer, over this year, he knows that's not really her thing, she loves her necklace, but he knows she would never ask for more. Draco leans forward a little.

“So I know your birthday is coming up” Draco admits to Vis who lowers his book to raise an eyebrow at him. “And I got Dani that necklace last year and well...”

“You are asking for advice on what to get my sister?” Vis asks, realising. Draco shrugs and then nods.

“Yeah” He admits. Vis sits thoughtful a moment before he closes his book and sits up.

“It's not about money for Dani” Vis reminds him. “You could give her a rock with a good backstory and she'd be happy with it” Draco snorts a little but knows Vis isn't wrong there. “It has to mean something, she loves that necklace because you gave it to her, because at that time...it showed her that you were open to....something” Draco hums a little because he can see that. Dani's much more spiritual than materialistic, which is why he is stuck. There is not a problem he hasn't been able to throw his parents money at, until now. Until her. He lets out a breath and rests his head back as he thinks.

…...

Draco crouches and opens the trunk at the end of his bed and rummages around, under a few empty boxes and sweaters before he gets to a sketchpad that's been hidden at the bottom. Not many know about this part of him, not even Dani does. And anyone in the Slytherin house that knows, would never tell. He turns, sits on the floor with his knees pulled up. He opens the sketchbook against his knees and flips through the drawings. He's pretty good, he knows that he is. It's something he got from his mother. Narcissa Malfoy is a surprisingly wonderful artist. Something she taught to her son during his early years. Till Lucius decided that it wasn't for Draco and stopped it from happening, but that skill and knowledge never went away. When he can't sleep, he pulls out his sketchbook and a bag of pencils. He touches the pages as he flicks through them, looking for one specific sketch. Then stops. His fingers drifting over the lines on the page. It's of Dani. He started it the day he realised that he felt something more than friendship for her. Spent weeks on it. Working from memory. It's one of his favourites. He lets out a breath and glances around the dorm room. There is a book on origami on his bedside table. He suddenly smiles.


	33. Chapter Twenty-Eight

Dani makes a note about her transfiguration homework from the blackboard at the end of the classroom where McGonagall is going through it. They've been attempting cross-species transformation, and Dani has proven to be rather good at this stuff. Which seems to constantly surprise everyone around her. It surprises people whenever she is good at anything that's not divination. Which sucks, because she knows she is actually rather intelligent, and all her grades, _all_ her grades, are right up there with Hermione's.

“Potter! Weasley!” McGonagall suddenly snaps. “Will you pay attention?” Both Harry and Ron jump in their seats at her outburst, clearly not paying attention. They both sit up straighter, attempting to listen. Dani rolls her eyes slightly. “Now Potter and Weasley have been kind enough to act their age” McGonagall continues. “I have something to say to you all. The Yule Ball is approaching – a traditional part of the Triwizard Tournament and an opportunity for us to socialise with our foreign guests. Now, the ball will be open only to fourth-years and above – although you may invite a younger student if you wish” Lavender Brown lets out a shrill giggle from her table and Dani lets out a harsh breath resisting the urge to cover her ears from the sound. “Dress robes will be worn” McGonagall adds. “And the ball will start at eight o'clock on Christmas Day” That gets Dani's attention. Because that's her birthday. A birthday she usually spends with her grandfather. Something she has _**never**_ missed. And on top of that, she doesn't want to spend her birthday at some stupid party with people she barely likes. “Finishing at midnight, in the Great Hall. Now then...the Yule Ball is, of course, a chance for us all to – er - let our hair down.” Lavender giggles again. “But that does **not** mean that we will be relaxing the standards of behaviour we expect from Hogwarts students. I will be most seriously displeased if a Gryffindor student embarrasses the school in any way” The bell then rings, ending her speech and everyone shuffles around trying to leave. Dani slides her quill into its protective cover before standing, collecting her books and leaving the classroom.

….....

“Stupid thing” Dani grumbles as she slides down the wall next to Draco who instantly holds out an apple to her, she takes it from him and huffs.

“What's stupid?” He asks as he turns his own apple around. She lets out a breath and leans her head back against the wall.

“The Yule Ball” She answers. “It's the most ridiculous thing I have ever heard of” He stops playing with the apple, looking thoughtful. He was going to ask her. That was an obvious direction for him. He would ask his girlfriend to the fancy ball where they'd dress up and dance and have fun. But now she seems disinterested in the whole thing. If he asks her, it makes it look like he's not listening to her.

“You don't want to go?” He asks her, she shrugs and looks down, her nail plucking at the skin of the apple. She then just suddenly bursts into tears. Draco's eyes widened because he wasn't aware this upset her that much. “Dani” He whispers and turns so he is facing her. “We don't have to talk about the Yule Ball....” He quickly tells her.

“No, no” She tries to stop herself from crying. “It's not...not the ball” She presses her hands into her eyes and lets out a small sob. “My head is killing me again” She admits. “Since the moment I woke up....I've been ignoring it all day, trying to anyway....and it's always worse in this hall” She whispers as she glances around the empty hall. “But I feel like I have to be here. I just don't know why” He hugs her tightly, her arms wrapping around his back to clutch to his robes.

“You know these feelings you have” She hums and nods. “Sometimes you don't know what they mean until you need to” He reminds her, she looks at up him. “Right?” He asks, she hums and nods again.

“Yeah” She voices, he gives her a look and then kisses her forehead.

“So you will know when you need to know” He offers when he pulls back. She gives him a smile. People seem to forget just how smart he is. He brushes his fingers over her cheek and smiles back at her, before he drops it. “Dani, I know you've just called it stupid...and I know it's your birthday” He starts. “But I...I was going to ask you...if you would want to go with...me” Her eyes soften a little. “You can say no, I won't be upset or mad....we can do something else”

“I'll go” She stops him, he frowns a little. “With you, yeah” he leans closer and brushes his nose over hers before he kisses her.


	34. Chapter Twenty-Nine

Dani sits on her bed with Hermione as they paint each other's nails, it's not really the sort of girls they are but just something they wanted to do at this moment in time. Dani's nails are usually chewed to bits with stress, but they're not too bad right now. Hermione has just told her that Viktor Krum asked her to go, which seems to have utterly baffled and yet pleased Hermione at the same time.

“I assume Malfoy asked you” Hermione then states as she brushes the nail polish brush over Dani's nail. Dani hums and nods.

“After I threw a right mare about how stupid it was” She admits. “And then burst into tears” Hermione looks up at her at that. “Just...this shadow-kissed thing that's going on...”

“You know you can tell me anything” Hermione assures her, Dani nods a little. She knows that Hermione and Neville are her closest Gryffindor friends, and Draco and Vis are her closest Slytherin ones.

“Have you ever read Beedle Bard's storybook?” Dani asks her. Hermione nods. “The story about Lady Death...” Dani continues, Hermione nods again.

“She was supposed to be the first shadow-kissed, right?” Hermione asks, Dani hums and looks down at her nails.

“Yeah, and she had this wand....the wand of fiery promise, it was a gift from Death, supposed to be very beautiful, very powerful, and almost sentient in the way it attached to its owners. It calls to shadow-kissed individuals.....” Dani offers and then shrugs. “Well...I think it's real, and I think it's here, in the castle” Hermione's eyes widen slightly. “And I think I've been hearing it call to me...I just can't find it”

“Hearing it how?”

“A song” Dani whispers. “In my head, all the time, in my head...” She motions with her hand. “Most of the time, I can block it out. But it's been getting louder, maybe it's getting impatient....and annoyed that I am incompetent at this” Hermione gives her a soft smile.

“Dani, you're doing great” Hermione assures her. “Did you know that most shadow-kissed become shadow-kissed in their middle-ages?” Dani sighs.

“No, I didn't know that” Dani admits.

“You are dealing with this, on top of going through school....and puberty” Hermione reminds her, Dani snorts a laugh. “And you're doing great...”

“No one listens to me” Dani argues. “How is that great?” She points out.

“But you're getting better at understanding your visions” Hermione counters, Dani shrugs slightly. “Do you have any idea where it could be?” Hermione shifts the conversation so as not to upset Dani.

“Somewhere on the seventh floor” Dani answers.

“Are you sure?” Dani gives her a look. “Right, of course, you are” Hermione offers and lets out a breath.

“I can't seem to find it in any of the classrooms, or the store cupboards up there....” Dani then presses her fingers into her head. “Even thinking about it gives me a headache”

“You'll ruin your nails” Hermione points out, Dani lowers her hand and sighs. “Look, I know things have been weird between us all, but you only have to ask, and we would help you”

“You have enough going on” Dani counters.

“The next task isn't until February” Hermione counters. “We have some time....” Dani gives her a warm smile and then nods. “That wasn't so hard, was it?” Dani rolls her eyes but smirks. “I'll go to the library in the morning and see what they have....we'll find the wand. I promise” Dani nods and then hugs Hermione tightly, Hermione hugs her back, but feels bad, none of them have been there enough for someone going through everything Dani is going through. Granted they can't help her if she doesn't tell them what is going on. She had no idea that Dani was hearing something inside the castle, the last time that happened, it was with Harry and turned out there was a giant snake in the pipes. Hermione pulls back when Dani does. Dani brushes her hand over her cheek and clears her throat, embarrassed. “You know I passed Malfoy in the hall the other day” Hermione starts. “He opened his mouth and...I really thought it was going to be _that_ word that came out” She admits, Dani frowns a little, not sure where she is going here. “He called me Granger and gave me a nod instead” Hermione smirks a little and shrugs. “I've been getting it less from the Slytherins actually....” Hermione looks at Dani. “Because of you”

“I wasn't aware I had done anything” Dani admits, Hermione gives her a look back.

“You and Draco....he's not as... _angry_ any more, you make him happy, so he has no desire to place misery onto others. I'm not the only one that's noticed, believe me....” Dani snorts a little, that's going to go down well. Dani brushes her hair behind her ear and shrugs.

….......

Draco weaves through the library, following instructions on a note left, surprisingly, by Hermione Granger. His relationship with Dani is making weird things happen in his life. He doesn't want to vomit at the thought of being around a mudblood. He's changing. He really is. And it's all Dani's fault. He wants to be the sort of man, though boy still fits best, that is worthy of being with her, she's smart, brave, kind, protective, loyal. And whilst he knows that he was put into Slytherin for a reason, he knows he can do better too. He can be better. For her. Harry is already sat at the table in the instructions. Draco slows a little and frowns. Harry looks up and straight at him, sitting up straighter in his seat.

“What are you doing here?” Harry asks Draco. Draco sits at the table with him, he then shrugs a little.

“Granger sent me a note to be here” Draco answers. “For Dani” Harry hums a little and nods.

“Yeah, I got the same one” He admits, reluctantly admits to him. Neville and Vis are next to join them, both of them equally confused by the note Hermione sent them. And finally, Ron who rubs at his eyes, barely having time to eat breakfast.

“Okay, what's going on?” Vis asks as he leans on the back of the chair in front of him.

“Don't know yet” Draco answers, his arms folded over his chest. “Is this everyone?” He asks. Ray and Rolf then saunter in.

“Now it is, I guess” Vis mumbles as his brothers join them. They are literally the most mixed matched group of socialising people ever. They even have a Hufflepuff, they have a Ravenclaw now. Hermoine then walks towards them, arms clutching books to her chest.

“Hermione” Ron complains. “What are we doing here?” He asks as Hermione sets her books down.

“Look, I was talking to Dani last night, and she told me that she's been...hearing a thing,” Hermione tells them.

“Hearing a thing?” Harry asks. “What kind of _thing?_ ”

“Singing” Draco answers instead. “She thinks it's from some wand thing....the..” He closes his eyes as he thinks. “Wand of fiery promise”

“How do you know that?” Hermione asks him.

“She told me” Draco answers.

“She confides in you?” Harry asks giving Draco a look.

“When I am the only person that actually takes her seriously, what do you expect?” Draco argues. “I don't dismiss what she sees, and maybe it is because I am a pureblood, and maybe it is because I was raised on the stories of the shadow-kissed, and I know not to ignore their warnings when they give them” He adds.

“We're going to help her find the wand” Hermione points out. “It's in the castle, she's sure of it, but she would do this herself, because she thinks that asking her friends for help makes her a burden.....and I think it's about time we all pull our weight and look after our friend” Hermione states, Draco turns a look on her.

“Excuse me?” Draco asks her. “I'm the only one that's been there for her” Neville raises his hand. “Except for Longbottom” Draco adds. Neville lowers his hand.

“I wasn't saying you weren't” Hermione assures him. “But the rest of us....we need to do better” Harry looks down a little. “So...we find this wand...with Dani” She then looks around those gathered. There are nods, a few vocal agreements, but everyone is on board to help.

“So Dani has been hearing things?” Ray asks the group, but specifically Draco and Hermione as they knew before this moment. “And neither of you thought to tell her brothers what was going on?” Draco raises an eyebrow.

“Oh, I'm sorry” Draco comments, not at all apologetic. “I wasn't aware that snitching was part of my duties as the boyfriend” Rolf and Ray frown.

“What?” They both ask.

“Thought everyone knew” Draco mumbles and turns to Vis who is smirking. Rolf and Ray turn on Vis.

“Did you know?” Ray asks him.

“About the singing; no” Vis answers. “About Dani and Draco....yeah, for a while actually” He notes their looks. “Oh come on” Vis argues. “I knew how you were going to react....how dad is going to react...Dani's happy, you don't get to ruin this for her” Vis defends his sister. “He makes her happy...that's enough” Ray and Rolf share a look before they are both smirking and moving to Vis, each poking and pinching at his cheeks.

“Oh look who's warmed up”

“Ahh so sweet....such a baby” They coo over one another, Vis slaps away their hands as those gathered smile and chuckle.

“Hey” Dani greets with a frown when she heads towards them, every head turns to her. “You're all hanging out now?” she moves to Draco who gives her a small smile and then kisses her softly.

“Not exactly,” He tells her when he pulls back. “Your little mudblood friend is worried about you” He offers, but there is none of the old venom in mudblood, it's more of a fact than an insult. Harry and Ron glare at Draco for using the word at all but Hermione heard the difference in tone. It still stings, but he is changing. Sometimes his tongue is going to slip.

“So she rallied the troops?” Dani asks as she turns to Hermione.

“I told them about the wand, we're all going to help...”Hermione promises her, firm, in her 'this is going to happen if it is the last thing she'll do' voice. 


	35. Chapter Thirty

It's quiet in the library after Hermione had gone through the plan everyone had their own task to undertake. Neville sits on the floor with a book open in his lap, leaning against his back is Vis who reads from his own book, the two of them researching the Shadow-kissed. Draco sits at the table with Hermione, both reading from books on the school layout, trying to find something Dani's missed on the seventh floor. Ron and Harry are sat close by talking rather than reading, Hermione ran out of books. Dani sits with her older brothers and Ron, looking for any spells that might help reveal the location of the wand. Hermione has a plan, and it's Hermione so there is only a tiny chance it will go wrong.

“Hey, urm, Granger” Draco starts, not looking from his book. Hermione hums in acknowledgement. “When I said....mudblood before” Hermione glances at him. “Well...You mean a lot to Dani, and....uh...she means a lot to me....I've been trying to watch what I say around you” Hermione nods, she knows this. “And it just slipped out....”

“It's fine” Hermione assures him. He frowns a little. Unsure why she seems to be just forgiving him. “You've been taught to think one way your whole life, Malfoy” Hermione points out. “It's not going to be easy for you to change the way you behave.....I know it means a lot to Dani that you're trying....because you mean a lot to her too”

“Yeah?” He asks her. She nods.

“Anyone can see that....so if this is a game to you, and I'm not saying it is, but....” She shrugs a little. Draco raises an eyebrow but can see that she is trying to look out for her friend. They all honestly think he's going to turn on Dani. Draco glances back at his book. That kind of hurts. That they all just assume he's after something from her.

“It's not” He is quick to point out, because it is so far from a game for him. He glances at Dani who leans against her brother as she reads. He thinks he's in love with her. Being away from her hurts. Thinking about anything bad happening to her almost cripples him. He smiles more around her. Laughs more. Feels...normal around her. Feels like he finally has a place he belongs. No weight. No expectations. Just him. He's pretty sure that's love. Draco closes his book and then sighs. “Vis” He states, Vis looks at him and then nods. “We have charms,” Draco tells them all as he stands, Vis slides his book away. “I'll see you for lunch” He offers Dani who nods. Draco leans down to kiss her softly before he and Vis walk away.

“And I have Care of Magical Creatures” Rolf kisses Dani's cheek as he stands.

“Potions” Ray adds. “Don't worry, we'll...figure this out” Dani gives him a small smile before the two of them leave as well. Dani looks down at her book and lets out a breath. Neville moves to sit with Dani as Ron throws his head back against

“Why didn't you tell me?” Neville asks her. “About the voices thing?”

“I didn't want to bother you” Dani answers with a shrug. Neville gives her a small smile and shrugs.

“You're my best friend” He argues. She looks at him and smiles warmly. “If you can't talk to me....then who can you talk to...”

“I know I can talk to you” She promises him. “But...There's a lot going on this year” She offers. “I just didn't want to add to it. I thought I could do this myself....” She shrugs.

“Is that why you turned to Malfoy?” Neville asks her.

“No” She stops him. “No, that's not what it is, after last year, with Buckbeak...I wanted to hate him, I was really upset and angry.....but I'd already seen something in him, and then over the summer, he wrote to me, and I wrote back.....” She looks at Neville. “There was just something about him...It's hard to explain”

“I can't say I understand” Neville admits. “But if that's what you want, if that's what makes you happy” Neville nods. “Then okay”

“Like you and Vis” She teases, he gives her a look, she raises an eyebrow at him.

“I...don't know what you are talking about” Neville mumbles, she chuckles and shakes her head.

“It's okay, Nev” She whispers to him. “You can tell me when you're ready” He glances at her and she smiles softly at him, he nods only slightly. Hermione groans and closes another book. Nothing. They have found nothing that is going to help Dani. “It's fine, Hermione” Dani assures her, Hermione huffs a little, because to her, it is not fine. “It was a long shot”

“No” Hermione argues. “No, this is not over, I will keep looking” She promises Dani, Dani knows that they've done their best. Hermione has pulled out every book she could think of but they've come up with nothing that can help. Shadow-Kissed isn't something that has been well documented. There hasn't been enough of them. And other than the transfiguration spell revelio, which they already know, there is no spell that seems to be able to help them. Dani is just going to have to figure this one out herself. To find this wand herself. It is her destiny after all. Not theirs.


	36. Chapter Thirty-One

The following weeks are filled with classes and time in the library trying to find out how to find some dumb wand that wants to be found but has made it nearly impossible for Dani to do so. It should be easier. But the whole thing with the wand, not even the worst thing that happens to her. No, it gets worse. Dani knows that she is small for her age. So when she is corned in the hallway by Pansy Parkinson and a few other Slytherin girls, she knows that there is nothing she can do. She knew there was a chance something like that was coming. Firstly, she is publicly dating Draco Malfoy. Secondly, he and Vis have been sitting at the Gryffindor table more and more. And the Slytherins have made it known with glares that change is not welcome. Now it's just worse. Dani runs her fingers through her hair as she enters the great hall, then pulls her hair forward, to frame and hide her face. Draco is sat beside Vis, Neville on his other side, and across from Harry, Ron, and Hermione. Dani lets out a sigh and then takes a deep breath before approaching the table. Draco pulls his Quidditch jumper from the bench to make space for her at his side, but she doesn't sit with him, he keeps her eyes on her feet.

“I think you should go back to the Slytherin table” She whispers. Draco frowns and looks at her.

“What?” He asks her, Dani keeps her eyes down and shrugs.

“I think you should go back to the Slytherin table” She repeats, a little louder. Hermione, Neville and Vis all frown at Dani, because that doesn't sound like her at all. Draco frowns at her as he stands from his seat.

“What are you talking about?” He asks her. “Me sitting over here with your friends was your idea....” He reminds her and frowns harder. “Why?” He counters, trying to come up with anything he might have done to upset her, but he's been behaving. He's been the perfect boyfriend. He talks to her friends. He hasn't said the mudblood word in days. Supports her. Listens to her. Helps her with her homework. He thought he was doing a good job at the whole...partner thing. He notices something on her face. He tightens his jaw and reaches for her chin, she goes to pull back but he stops her with a firm look. He takes her chin between his fingers and lifts her head, her hair falling back from her face to reveal a split lip and an eye that is definitely bruising.

“Dani” Hermione gasps.

“Who did this?” Draco asks Dani who clenches her teeth together. Her eyes flicker across to the Slytherin table, Draco turns to follow her eyes. Pansy and her friends are laughing and watching them. Draco goes to move around her, to head to that table and put this right. Dani grabs his arm, stopping him.

“Don't” She tells him.

“Dani” He turns to her. “Someone hurt you...I'm not going to let that stand”

“No” She stops him. “It's not worth it” He gives her a look. “Please?” He searches her eyes, then sighs and nods. She sits on the bench and Draco takes his place at her side. His eyes on Pansy though, watching her gossip with her friends. He and Vis then share a look, Vis nods back at him, Draco lifts his lip into a smirk as he nods back.

….......

The next morning, at breakfast, Draco sits with his arm around Dani's shoulders, his fingers playing with her hair, but his eyes on the entrance to the Great Hall. He's waiting on something magical to happen. The doors open and Draco smiles wider. Pansy Parkinson and her friends walk through the doors and into the hall. Someone has cut Pansy's hair, except it's not been done well. It's like someone went at her locks with rabid garden sheers. And her friends aren't fairing much better. Because no one gets to hurt the people Draco loves. Vis and Draco share a look as Pansy and the other Slytherin girls, embarrassed, walk to the Slytherin table.

“What did you two do?” Hermione asks the two of them as she picks up a copy of the Daily Prophet, Vis shrugs and smirks as he pokes at his breakfast.

“They had it coming” Draco answers, but does not at all look ashamed of himself for what he has done.

“Draco” Dani scolds him.

“No one gets to hurt you,” Draco tells her. “Ever” He adds, firmer as he kisses her head. Dani supposes she should be angry about this. But her lip and eye still hurt and she is not at all upset by this turn of events. She's kind of proud. He defended her. Avenged her. It's sort of romantic. Parvati and Padma Patil, identical twins, stroll by and cast Harry identified come hither looks.

“Hi, Harry” The twins greet as they walk past him, but Harry's only got eyes for Cho Chang across at the Ravenclaw table.

“In your dreams, Potter” Draco comments, Harry turns and gives him a look. “Chang is way out of your league”

“And Dani is out of yours, but you still managed” Harry counters. Draco glares and then shrugs, he's not entirely wrong that Dani is way out of his league, out of everyone's league.

“I don't believe it” Hermione suddenly states with an angry sharp tone. “She's done it again” She scowls at the Daily Prophet. “'Miss Granger, a plain but ambitious girl, seems to be developing a taste for famous wizards. Her latest prey, sources report, is none other than Bulgarian bonbon Viktor Krum. No word yet on how Harry Potter is taking this latest emotions blow”

“You and Krum?” Ron asks. “That's rich” He chuckles, Hermione glares at him. “I just mean...I know you. Krum's famous”

“Who's more famous than Harry Potter?” Hermione asks. “And he's your best friend”

“Yeah, well, that's different, isn't it?” Ron defends. Hermione shakes her head and looks at Dani who shrugs a little as a tiny first-year boy, Nigel, dashes towards the table with a floppy box.

“Parcel for you, Mr Weasley” He states.

“Ah, thank you, Nigel” Ron takes the box from him. Nigel stares in awe at Harry. “Not _now_ , Nigel,” Ron tells him, giving him a look. Nigel stumbles off, Harry and Hermione eye Ron, he shrugs. “I told him I'd get Harry's autograph.” He admits as he opens the box. “Hey look. Mum's sent me something...Mum's sent me a dress...” Harry watches Ron life a lace-trimmed gown from the box. Draco bursts into laughter and then clears his throat trying to stop, Dani bites her lip and then hisses as it catches on her split.

“Does match your eyes” Harry offers with an amused smile. “Is there a bonnet?” He asks as he searches the box.

“Nose out, Harry” Ron scolds him. “Hey, Ginny” He turns to his sister sat down the table. “This must be for you”

“I'm not wearing that. It's ghastly” She counters. Hermione, back of her hand to her mouth, suppresses a laugh. Dani presses her face into Draco's arm to stop her own laughter. Vis and Neville are both smirking away though.

“What're you on about?” Ron asks.

“They're not for Ginny” Hermione points out. “They're for you. Dress robes”

“ _Dress robes?”_ He squeaks and pulls a face at the outfit. Ray and Rolf both carry boxes as they enter the Great Hall and head towards the Gryffindor table. Ray hands a box to Dani and Rolf one to Vis before they head to their respective tables. Dani hums a little and unwraps the paper from the box. There is a note inside from her father, telling her what's in the box, she smiles and traces her fingers over the top of the cardboard.

“What is it?” Harry asks.

“My dress” Dani answers.

“Really?” Draco asks. “Can I see it?”

“No” She argues quickly and holds down the lip when he tries to take a peak.

“What? Why not?” He counters.

“It looks different when it's on,” She tells him. He pulls a disappointed face but nods. He'll let her have this. He kind of wants to see it on her too, he knows things look different. He can't wait actually. It's going to be something fun they can do together that's not hiding away to cuddle, or researching some wand.


	37. Chapter Thirty-Two

The entirety of the Gryffindor house are stood in a large empty classroom. Girls lining one side of the room. The boys the other. None of them looks happy to be there. Dani stands next to Hermione who is about as interested in this as Draco is in muggle history. McGonagall stands in the centre of the room. Dani's never really danced before, not formal dancing, and not with someone else. She has to get this right. Otherwise, she's going to screw up, and give the Slytherins even more reason to hate her.

“You have got to get a grip,” McGonagall tells them all. “Your behaviour barely rises to the level of the common toadstool. I will not have it” The students all exchange a nervous glance. “Now. To dance is to let the body...” She takes a deep breath. “Breathe...Inside every girl, a secret swan slumbers, longing to burst free and take flight. Inside every boy, a lordly lion prepared to pounce”

“ _Something_ may be about to burst out of Eloise Midgen” Ron mumbles. “But I don't think it's a swan”

“Mr Weasley” McGonagall calls on him. Ron jumps.

“Yes?” His voice squeaks.

“Would you join me, please” McGonagall motions for him to join her. Ron glances about in panic then slumps forward, shuffling his feet as he moves to McGonagall. “Now then, if you will, put your left hand on my waist...”

“Where?” Ron asks her in alarm.

“My waist” She repeats giving him a look. Slowly, and reluctantly, Ron obeys. Fred and George whistle teasingly and Ron raises his right hand in a rude gesture but McGonagall closes her hand over his just in time. “That's right, extend your arm......and, Mr Filch, if you would” Filch drops the needle onto a record play and a waltz fills the room. Neville and Dani share a look across the room and he smiles, she smiles back. “And one and two...” Harry leans closer to Fred and George.

“Never going to let him forget this, are you?” He asks them.

“Never” The twins answer together. Harry smirks.

“Everyone” McGonagall orders. “Come together....” The girls and boys nervously move to the centre of the room and begin to pair off. Dani and Neville quickly claim one another as partners.

….........

In the boys' dorm, Neville rummages in his trunk as Dani stands behind him, waiting on him. ZuZu jumps across each of thee the boys' beds as Dani glances around, pulling a face.

“This place is a mess” She comments, every part of the room, except for Neville's corner is a mess. There are jumpers and shoes and socks. The poor house-elves that have to clean this room. At least the girls always clean up after themselves.

“Yeah, they're not very tidy” Neville agrees as he pulls on a jumper. “Okay” He whispers and turns to her.

“Thanks for helping me practice, Nev,” She tells him as she pulls her hair back from her face and ties it back.

“Yeah, it's no problem, Dani” He assures her. “I need the practice as well, to be honest”

“I just don't want to embarrass Draco anymore than I already do” She whispers, he shakes his head.

“Is this about what happened with Pansy Parkinson and those girls?” He asks her, she shrugs and then nods. Her lip has almost fully healed and her eye is now turning yellow. “If Malfoy didn't want to sit with us, he wouldn't sit with us” He points out and then holds out his hands to her, she steps closer and the two of them take a dancers stance. “And come on, he knew what he was getting into when he declared you his girlfriend.....” She hums and nods. She supposes he is right, Draco knew what he was getting into. Being with a shadow-kissed was never going to be normal.

…........

Dani presses her fingers into her head and closes her eyes. It's another bad day. They come and go now, come more than go, if she's honest. But she's definitely gotten better at blocking out the noise.

“I got this from the kitchens” Draco presses the ice pack against her forehead and she closes her eyes.

“Thank you” He sits next to her and squeezes her knee softly.

“It's worse today” He points out, she nods in agreement.

“It's been getting worse for weeks” She admits quietly.

“It's your birthday in a few days” He points out. “Maybe that has something to do with it” She hums a little and shrugs. She hadn't considered it. The fact that her birthday is closing in and the sound is getting louder.

“Yeah, maybe” She whispers with a small hum, her eyes closing again.

“I've barely seen you the last few days” He points out, she hums in agreement.

“I've been busy” She admits. “Hermione's been helping me adjust my dress for the Yule Ball”

“Why does it need adjusting?” He asks her.

“It was my mother's wedding dress” She admits, he looks at her. “She was taller than me....” She points out. “And I've dyed it” She offers. “So, don't look so worried” She teases when his eyes flicker at the word wedding. He snorts and shrugs. “I've always loved that dress, never thought I'd get a chance to actually wear it though” He threads his fingers with hers and rest them against his thigh. She leans against his arm and closes her eyes. She likes moments like this. When neither of them has to say anything. When they are comfortable and warm together.

“Do you want to know something funny?” He whispers to her, she hums and nods. “I watched Professor Snape dancing with a sixth-year girl” He smirks as she chuckles.

“McGonagall and Ron” She offers, they share an amused look. “Makes you wonder who had Flitwick and Sprout” She points out, he nods in agreement.


End file.
